PGA Tour: US Open - Wide Open: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

Not much insight on this week that's not readily available to all, but a few notes following Danny Berger's Memphis win and some other random odds and sods:

1).There was once a famous jockey in Britain, even before my time, called Harry Wragg, and they used to call him "The Head Waiter" as he'd be riding the only horse moving forward at the finish line when every other nag was treading water or had run its race. That came to mind last weekend as Berger was the only Pro* in the field to either equal his previous round or improve his score from Thursday thru Sunday. That's a recipe for finishing well before the final groups, sitting watching TV and swigging a pint of Brickwoods as the pace-setters all fell back.
Daniel duly won his second title and is only one behind the total of ATP titles won by Father Jay - but Jay reached #7 in the world rankings so at #24 Danny Boy still has some way to go.

2).Jay also played two years of Davis Cup and Daniel reached #5 in the US Presidents Cup qualification league table.

3).*The wonderfully named amateur college student, Braden Thornberry, may sound like a judge in My Cousin Vinny, or perhaps a retired Wingco Tory MP from the shires, but Thorney (perhaps the Wingco was stationed there?) also improved, by two shots a day, 71, 69, 67, 65. Who does he think he is? Renato Paratore?? Both play in a hurry so happy about that.

4).Unfortunately, and perhaps unfairly, such a performance by an amateur gets him nothing more than sponsor invitations on the PGA Tour; a similar plight befell Lee McCoy when he finished 4th at the 2016 Valspar and he couldn't even play Q-School because of an injury. "Hang on Sloopy", the Tour said, "You can't prove you're the Real McCoy yet because success as an amateur don't get nuttin as a Pro". Unless you're Scott Verplank or Phil Mickelson.
I believe I'm correct in saying that Thorney's Top Ten doesn't even get him into Hartford, but hopefully The Travelers will take him under their umbrella and get him a sponsor invite tout suite.
So now he's left with the thorny dilemma as to whether to turn pro or return to U Of Mississippi for another year or two.

5).OK, A cage was rattled on last week's thread by saying that Berger can be tough to pull for. Won't revisit that, but Golf Digest has a timely list of the Tour's Top Thirty "Good Guys" - over fifties excluded so Steve Stricker can't win again, a bit like Comeback Player of the Year really. (By the way, who'd vote against Stewart Cink as Comeback Player of 2017?) But I digress . . . . .

6). . . . . Number One Mr.Good Guy, as voted by "players, caddies, media, members (of what?), various golf officials and insiders", Golf Digest put Jordan Spieth at the head of the class. Followed by:
T2 Finau, Adam Scott.
4: Cink
5: Fowler
6: Billy Hurley
7: Ogilvy (of course, he must be the tour's most quoted as well)
8: Snedeker
9: Rose
10: Andrew Johnston (and I have a bit of a beef with that one. Who'd they ask? Arby's??
They list 30 in all and I reckon Jason Day is the only one I'd really quibble with.
Three who I would've thought would make the list but were overlooked are: Nick Watney, Luke Donald, Molinari. Oh well.

7).Our friend "Undercover Tour Pro" is at it again, following up on Phil's assertion that questioned the way "a number of guys on tour" mark their ball. Undercover reckons "maybe 20 guys deliberately fudge their mark within a half-inch", the Lexi Thompson margin in error.
All I'd say is "you ain't seen nothing yet" as the new rule about dropping the ball, instead of from shoulder height to an inch above ground, is sure to be abused. Can't see any reason for that change whatsoever.
As an aside, I'm often pleasantly surprised how gentlemanly the dialogue is between officials and pros. Within the space of two hours at a tournament a year or two ago, we watched Bud Cauley, Chris Stroud and Charlie Wi all accept with full equanimity rulings that could have been debated or contended. Good to see.

8).I know nothing about Erin Hills, the golf course. The golf media has written at length about the design and ownership haggles going back to its inception, but all I really think I know about the course is that it has wide fairways, is as long as they want, and has unforgiving rough (although, following players' reactions, but not necessarily because of them - clear throat - they're now cutting the fescue).
My picks this week will probably be the best drivers combined with US Open temperament and a decent short game. The Tour's driving (combination of distance and accuracy rankings) show this Top Ten of those playing:
Fowler, Garcia, (Stanley is a non-runner), Bubba, Glover, (DeLaet, n/r), Bradley, Lowry, Steele, Henley, Molinari, Matsuyama.
No idea if that's instructive or a red herring with 50 or 60 yard-wide fairways.

9).Some of the field played the US Amateur when Kelly Kraft was the Champion. He's failed to qualify, probably crying in his beer over the perceived inequities of the owgrs. He beat Cantlay in the Final but neither he nor the beaten semi-finalists have made the field.
But of those who played and return this week:
QFinalists: Spieth, Uihlein,
3rd Round: None
2nd Round: Justin Thomas, Harris English, DeChambeau, Russell Henley,
1st Round: Stephan Jaeger,
A few others didn't qualify for Match Play, but one curiosity which shows how careers can diverge: Spieth and Thomas were beaten by the same man: Jack Senior!

10).News coming through that the USGA is cutting the rough.
It seems there are guys and girls on hot seats wherever you look these days:
Terry May and her Tory grandees.
Drumpf and the editorial staff at Breitbart.
Mike Davis and his USGA grandees, and they have put their c0cks firmly on the block this year with the selection, and course set-up, of Erin Hills as this year's venue. Advance press reports haven't exactly been glowing, but only time will tell whether this is another Chambers Bay or a Wisconsin version of Birkdale (give or take an ocean). I'm looking forward to finding out (albeit via the dreaded Fox TV).
Meanwhile, where's Jack Senior when you need him?

GPB wrote:Mickelson and his caddie Bones are splitting up.  Phil's brother Tim (and Jon Rahm's agent) will be caddying for Phil in the near term.

That's a shocker, didn't see that coming. At all.
GPB, Any idea where their respective paths might take them?

I wonder if that's Bones knees?

Puligny - Exactly my thought

Yeah he looked in absolute agony earlier in the season, Mexico I think it was.

51 is too young for a double knee replacement...

Don't call Tiger for advice..