PGA Tour: Damn The Torpedoes: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).Even The Losers . . . . .
from last Tour season, which ended just ten days ago, get to play this week's Safeway Open. Well, most of them anyway; certainly all the qualifiers from the web.com season are eligible, as well as some old lags from the "Past Champion" category of player eligibility. The winner is forecast to earn 24 or 26 owgr points, just about as weak a full field as we're likely to get. Too bad as they'll have fantastic late summer weather in California's Napa Valley and play on Johnny Miller's Silverado resort's North course. Recent Open winners Zach Johnson and Phil Mickelson are there but precious few other "notables".

2).Runaway Train . . . . .
That's what the US Presidents Cup Team looked like last Thursday, Friday and Saturday. US media seems to think that's a splendid building block for future "Cup" success. Mebbe, mebbe not. Nothing wrong with fighting through a little adversity - though not as much as the Internationals inflicted upon themselves. Anyway, tough to argue with the successes of US Foursomes & Fourball teams and they certainly think they've found something. We'll see.

3).I Won't Back Down . . . . .
Take me up to the gates of hell, but this US Presidents Cup Team is suggesting that they won't back down.
This is Daniel Berger's take on the whole thing:
"Our goal from the minute we got here was to crush them (International Team, presumably) as bad as we can. I hope that we close them out today and we go out there tomorrow and beat them even worse."
Hope Thomas Bjorn is paying attention.
(Perhaps Berger is miffed that the US Davis Cup team that his old man worked on a couple of years ago got duffed up in Glasgow?)
Nice response from Tweeter Alliss: "Quite lively by young Berger, proving it's a gentleman's game and you can sympathise with your opponents."

4).Refugee . . . . .
Jhonathan Vegas needs to mind his p's and q's if he wants to continue to travel freely between his Venezuelan home and his US Tour career. He mostly came up short at the Presidents Cup but I didn't see any International embrace the occasion as heartily as Jhonny did. Good for him, but watch yourself coming and going now your country is on the White House's black list.

5).Don't Come Around Here No More . . . . .
Several golfers whose names we recognise during increasingly rare incursions to Tour leaderboards lost their full exempt status following last week's Tour Championship. Some have conditional membership or other avenues but they certainly won't be able to plan a full schedule: Crane, Ricky Barnes, Spencer Levin, Ishikawa, Zac Blair, Summerhays, Johnson Wagner, David Hearn, Ken Duke, Gonzo among them.

6).You Don't Know How It Feels . . . . .
Patrick Can'tLay finished 2017 with a succession of strong finishes and you'd think that he'll be a regular contender in 2018, if only he can stay fit. A bit of a callow youth, but one hell of a golf game and arithmetically sure to rocket up the owgr's. Smile Pat, it's not that bad.

7).It's Good To Be King . . . . .
Or at least his grandson, as Sam Saunders regained his Tour card - pretty much wrapping it up with an opening 59 at the WTF. He's had a lifetime of Tour chances, which he readily acknowledges, but also a lifetime of heavy expectations. It seems he's improved his consistency this year and I wouldn't be surprised to see him win.

8).Running Down A Dream . . . . .
Ireland's Seamus Power came to PGA Tour membership last year with few expectations, from others anyway, but quickly belied that with a couple of excellent 54-hole performances which he annihilated with dreadful fourth rounds. Fast forward to last week and he scraped through 50th of 50 qualifiers for this year's Tour. Unless he can turn those early season 54-hole efforts into 72-hole contention, he'll stayed towards the bottom of the "reshuffle" category and see his opportunities few and far between. A fast start this week would go a long way.

9).Free Fallin' . . . . .
The steepest descents by owgr Top 50 & 100 Tour golfers in 2017 have been by:
"A" Flight - from Top 50:
80 places: Furyk
56: Willett
49: Piercy
47: Bubba Watson
43: Knox

"B" Flight - from Top 100:
198 places: Patton Kizzire
177: Gamez (EDIT: s/b Fabian Gomez)
135: Ishikawa
96: Castro
88: Harris English (what on earth has become of him?)

10).Stop Draggin' My Heart Around . . . . .
Sadly, it looks as if two-time heart transplant patient Erik Compton's career could be at an end. He had suggested last year that he'd retire, but has competed unsuccessfully on the web.com circuit this year. One of golf's feelgood stories could be at an end.

The ballwasher is running dry so this thread will have to suffice for the Asian tournaments also. More of this rubbish in a fortnight.

I like to think 51 weeks a year, the nationality of the players doesn't matter to me... Or at least not much beyond being more familiar and identifying more with "ours" vs "yours".

But come Cup time.(either one) I'm rah-rah USA all the way, and 100% unapologetically so.  

The problem I had last week, I know it would benefit the competition if the International team would actually win one, so on that level I hope they do. But I still can't help myself from rooting for the American side to kick ass in every single match... No way to square the two... :-(

I saw Hunner Mahan compete in a Presidents Cup once - very happy to see him "competing" strongly this week. His team-mate for that match, young Philip, is having a good week so far too. No yahoos yahooing that day.

kwinigolfer wrote:I saw Hunner Mahan compete in a Presidents Cup once - very happy to see him "competing" strongly this week. His team-mate for that match, young Philip, is having a good week so far too. No yahoos yahooing that day.

crazy 10-way tie for the lead when I checked just now...

For once I agree with Mac - super's "evidence" of Spieth's "god bothering" came from three "god bothering" websites. Hardly credible sources

Davie wrote:For once I agree with Mac - super's "evidence" of Spieth's "god bothering" came from three "god bothering" websites. Hardly credible sources

It's against the 10 commandments to lie, so why would you question them, and what website would be credible as to Spieth's bible bashing? . Besides, those aren't the only sources, a simple google search reveals plenty.

Could it be Super is more religious in stalking "God Botherers" than those he's stalking....

If thou looketh for God behind every tree and under every stone, thou shall surely find HIM.

Signed,
God

:-)

Davie wrote:For once I agree with Mac - super's "evidence" of Spieth's "god bothering" came from three "god bothering" websites. Hardly credible sources

That was actually me.  What?  You don't think "christiantoday dot com" and "blog dot godreports dot com" are reputable?  

His other citation was from Spieth;s own website, but it was an independent article that only mentioned Spieth's christian roots in passing.  Hardly a smoking gun to bible thumping

All fake news.



I see that Cameron Smith is playing again at the CIMB. I thought he'd be a dead cert for Nick Price's team when he & Blixt won New Orleans - but he scarcely did anything else all year long. Regardless, he might have had a higher profile in consideration if they'd've awarded owgr points for the team thingy. Still don't think that's quite right, but not sure what the answer is.

Pieters playing his new PGAT membership the smartest of the new dual Tour guys. CIMB, CJ Cup and WGC-HSBC. 3 no-cut events, guaranteed FedEx points x3, and satisfies 20% of his 15 minimum right off the bat.

kwinigolfer wrote:
I see that Cameron Smith is playing again at the CIMB. I thought he'd be a dead cert for Nick Price's team when he & Blixt won New Orleans - but he scarcely did anything else all year long. Regardless, he might have had a higher profile in consideration if they'd've awarded owgr points for the team thingy. Still don't think that's quite right, but not sure what the answer is.

I wouldn't have an issue with OWGR adding ratings for reasonable sized partner events of at least 4 rounds.  I'd even add the World Cup into that.

Zurich Classic would have been approx 56-58 level

Zurich getting the field that they did tells me that the HWC does not need OWGR recognition to attract players to the event.

A de-facto appearance money of $100k+ is incentive enough for the prima donnas to show up.

GPB wrote:Zurich getting the field that they did tells me that the HWC does not need  OWGR recognition to attract players to the event.

A de-facto appearance money of $100k+ is incentive enough for the prima donnas to show up.

The fact only 31of the top-50 prior year FedEx list and only 24 of the OWGR top-50 participating in the Zurich indicates to me that the Zurich isn't demonstrating much of anything (field strength wise) in relation to the HWC field... One way or the other.

I think the Zurich field was as good as it was because the players were curious about the format, appreciated the change of pace, and some probably thought it might help them get noticed as a potential PC Cup selection. A few even mentioned NOT having OWGR was a possible benefit as they didn't want a partner affecting their ranking.

All good points!
But my reason for bringing up the Zurich was that Cam Smith had excelled there, but received no official (outside PGA Tour) benefit, and was perhaps lost in the crowd in Price's consideration of a "pick".

Speculation that the Internationals will ask for more "picks" for 2019. Still think qualifying via the owgr, which measures performance over two years and not necessarily those in form) is moronic. But if the best Internationals don't come to play, the rest of 'em can hardly be expected to carry them. Jason Day, Hideki, etc.

super_realist wrote:Mac, Have you got any examples of the toxic atmosphere you talk of, or is it like all your opinions, just based on hearsay.

Seeing as you've never been, who are you to say?

Seriously? I can remember very, very clearly some of the behaviour at the Belfry in the early 80s, even before Europe actually won one there. On this, I think Mac's probably correct.

Kwini.... I get why you mentioned Cam Smith, I was just responding to your "throw in" comment about partner events and OWGR.

As for the PC International Team.... IMO there's TWO major areas they can help level the playing field.

1) FORMAT - Basically go Ryder Cup format of 28 points. But also important to remove the "each player must play two partner sessions" rule. Many years the USA team had superior depth to the EURO's, but the Euro's were able to counter that in the 4b and 4s sessions by sitting weaker players if they needed. And they usually weren't reluctant to do so. The other thing is doing "blind" pairings like they do in the RC instead of "match-up" pairings. Price brought up the point that there are only so many ways a captain can format his pairings, and both sides are well aware of those. Once the first team reveals their first or second pairing and the other team counters... both sides have a good idea where both are going. Blind pairings eliminates that.

2) OWNERSHIP - The PGA Tour "owns" the Presidents' Cup and that's not going to change. But what they need to do is cede FUNCTIONAL ownership of the International side to their captain or committee or whatever. Right now the PGAT selects the International captain, determines their qualifying criteria, selects the International "home" venue and supervises the set-up.

Selecting the venue probably has to remain in PGAT hands, but the INT committee can be involved and bring potential venues to the table. But at the very least the INT team should have total control over the set-up of their home venue once selected. And let the INT decide for themselves how they're going to fill their team. If they want different points structure or number of captains picks... let 'em have it. Some use of OWGR points over a period of time (but not necessarily rankings) is probably required, but there's lots of ways to do it to give the INT the latitude they want.

Yup, I wasn't advocating for anything other than recognition for Cam.
Completely agree with your other "improvement" points, but I don't think the four-day format is compatible with removing the "each player must play two sessions" rule; tough ask for a pro to sit out the first two days, and even the Europeans have seldom done that, Mark James excepted. Perhaps return to a 3-day tournament, at least on international soil if that's what they want.

Robo: You made the comment that Zurich would have been rated in the high 50's by the OWGR.

Despite the influx of Zurich Ambassadors the previous OWGR rating was 36,40,44.

I don't think OWGR recognition is a significant factor for players when they decide to play the HWC. I think the $100000+ guaranteed payday is 90%+ of their decision. I honestly don't think anyone would ask themselves, "I am going to get ranking points if I play HWC? If not, screw the HWC, I ain't playing"

Unless they're comprehensively thick, players at the HWC would value owgr points more highly than $'s - $100K mere petty cash to them, probably just about cover their out-of-pocket expenses for the week.

robopz wrote:Pieters playing his new PGAT membership the smartest of the new dual Tour guys. CIMB, CJ Cup and WGC-HSBC. 3 no-cut events, guaranteed FedEx points x3, and satisfies 20% of his 15 minimum right off the bat.

Given that he is probably going to qualify for all the majors and WGCs, CIMB and CJ Cup satisfies 28% of his 7 regular non-co-sanctioned events.

kwinigolfer wrote:Unless they're comprehensively thick, players at the HWC would value owgr points more highly than $'s - $100K mere petty cash to them, probably just about cover their out-of-pocket expenses for the week.

Of course they value them, but not having them would not be a deal breaker for them. HWC was getting a good field before they got OWGR recognition.

navyblueshorts wrote:

super_realist wrote:Mac, Have you got any examples of the toxic atmosphere you talk of, or is it like all your opinions, just based on hearsay.

Seeing as you've never been, who are you to say?

Seriously? I can remember very, very clearly some of the behaviour at the Belfry in the early 80s, even before Europe actually won one there. On this, I think Mac's probably correct.

Before my time so thanks for adding some better historical context.

Super, whether or not we can agree on the phrase "toxic" would you say that you enjoy the way the fans and the media behave in the lead up to and during the RC?

kwinigolfer wrote:Unless they're comprehensively thick, players at the HWC would value owgr points more highly than $'s - $100K mere petty cash to them, probably just about cover their out-of-pocket expenses for the week.

pretty much agree with all of that.

GPB wrote:

kwinigolfer wrote:Unless they're comprehensively thick, players at the HWC would value owgr points more highly than $'s - $100K mere petty cash to them, probably just about cover their out-of-pocket expenses for the week.

Of course they value them, but not having them would not be a deal breaker for them.  HWC was getting a good field before they got OWGR recognition.

look at the Shark shootout field vs the HWC field and I think you get a window into what OWGR points bring to HWC. Norman's event carries a $70k guarantee, not significant below HWC.

GPB... I get that a lot of people don't think HWC should get OWGR points, legitimate debate. But I think the evidence is OWGR clearly enhances the HWC field.

If the Shark Shootout had entry qualification like the HWC. I know they have about half the field with special invites and some of the qualification goes off Lifetime money.

The SS has always a diversified field with Geezers being invited.

SS fits my definition of a hit & giggle for professionals.

Hideki is playing the CIMB next week.

He is NOT defending his JAPAN OPEN win from last year.

Big Mistake IMO.

GPB wrote:If the Shark Shootout had entry qualification like the HWC.  I know they have about half the field with special invites and some of the qualification goes off Lifetime money.

with the SS criteria, Norman has room to easily get 14-18 of the top world players in the field, and I'm 99% certain he would if they'd agree to play. IMO SS field these days is a LOT more about who he can't get than it is about who he can.

One member of Brendan Steele's "team" not benefitting from his sporty Safeway title defence is caddie Christian Donald who ducked the week's work for a wedding in England. Could be expensive.


Brian Davis emerged from the bowels of the Tour's "eligibility" rankings to take 6th place after 36 holes; he is playing on a "medical extension" requiring earnings of $690K over four events to retrieve his card. A top result here would eat up a big chunk of that but, as said before, there aren't too many Tour courses where he can still be competitive so he needs to pick and choose his next three appearances.

Course specialist Martin Laird is off to a good start, but a dismal Friday for Seamus Power sends him on his bike - disappointing, and opportunity lost.

McLaren wrote:

navyblueshorts wrote:

super_realist wrote:Mac, Have you got any examples of the toxic atmosphere you talk of, or is it like all your opinions, just based on hearsay.

Seeing as you've never been, who are you to say?

Seriously? I can remember very, very clearly some of the behaviour at the Belfry in the early 80s, even before Europe actually won one there. On this, I think Mac's probably correct.

Before my time so thanks for adding some better historical context.  

Super, whether or not we can agree on the phrase "toxic" would you say that you enjoy the way the fans and the media behave in the lead up to and during the RC?

Mac, It's the sort of behaviour I expect when any nation in any sport is playing one another  (it's about America's only outlet for this). Of course, I don't want it to get abusive (toxic) or overly personal, but these guys THRIVE in that atmosphere, you only have to look at Rev Watson, Weekley, Poulter, Garcia etc to see they lap it up because it's so different from the normal individual game.

There's no harm in singing stuff like "You've only got one song" to the moronic USA shouts from America. How can you object to that? I wish America had a retort to the "EUROPE" dirge, but they don't quite get the terrace atmosphere.

What's your problem with "You've got a big mac, we've got wee mac"? For someone who claims to be such a big football "fan" I'm surprised you find it so objectionable. What do you do when you go to the match? Just stand there in your anorak and bobble hat twirling your rattle and drinking your Bovril? We no longer live in a LS Lowry world you know.

You seem like you should have been born in the 1940's Mac and expect just a ripple of applause.

Round 4 at the Safeway in Napa now well underway and there are plenty of players shooting themselves out of contention with an epidemic of double bogeys and worse.

Imagine the course must be playing hard and fast, possibly some wind also. Back nine should be interesting - can Phil get back into the tournament or is it setting up for a Steele or Finau finish?

Well done Hunter Mahan. With the way the winds blowing, this could be your first top ten for two years, currently T13.

Well done to Brendan Steele, and a nice 60+ pound payday for Ned.
And it looks as if Fish and Steele fill out the HSBC Champions, Grillo narrowly missing that boat.

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/fires-cause-silverado-evacuation-hours-after-safeway/


The PGA Tour action was completed just in time.
Hope all at Silverado and thru'out the Napa Valley found a safeway out. Scary.

Sergio and TaylorMade have just gone through a divorce.

GPB wrote:Sergio and TaylorMade have just gone through a divorce.

Hadn't realised the KPS divestiture had been completed.
Will Justin Rose be next?

"Active" Players with 2 or more PGATour wins. Players with 2-5 wins must have won since 2010.

"Active" is a very loose definition. Some players are mostly playing the PGATour Champions, some are in the booth, etc.

Spoiler:

That is a very interesting list!

Some guys travel way under the radar by winning largely opposite field events, fall series stuff and the like, not qualifying for RC & PC Teams, Mark Wilson, Byrd & Slocum among them.

I had to double-take the "Clarke 3", but of course he's just another example of Euros playing well in big events whilst not so much in the everyday routine of Tour events

kwinigolfer wrote:

GPB wrote:Sergio and TaylorMade have just gone through a divorce.

Hadn't realised the KPS divestiture had been completed.
Will Justin Rose be next?

I hear Dove could be in the market for some endorsement deals.

I'm sure you'll boycott everything SmithKline Beacham now Mac, just like you've boycotted Ford, Boss, BASF etc.

kwinigolfer wrote:http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/fires-cause-silverado-evacuation-hours-after-safeway/


The PGA Tour action was completed just in time.
Hope all at Silverado and thru'out the Napa Valley found a safeway out. Scary.

Amazing, Some of the Silverado grandstands have now gone up in flames, extraordinary really. Sounds callous to say the tournament finished in the nick of time, but wonder if proximity of out-of-control fires was on the Tour's radar.

Sergio always seemed more Addidas than Taylor Made. Will he still have an Addidas contract and play other clubs?

beninho wrote:Sergio always seemed more Addidas than Taylor Made

You are right, there is a bit of the chav about Sergio.

McLaren wrote:

beninho wrote:Sergio always seemed more Addidas than Taylor Made

You are right, there is a bit of the chav about Sergio.

But your love object, Woods, and his gorgeous Nike array was somehow a superior cut of cloth? Give it a rest.

Navy

I think Tigers nike clothes were actually re-branded M&S.

You're right, Woods is easily one of the worst dressed players on (or not so much on these days) tour.

Thankfully we don't have to see his silly corrective shoes and laughable red shirt any longer.

McLaren wrote:Navy

I think Tigers nike clothes were actually re-branded M&S.

If only that were true.

Yeah sometimes Sergios Adidas shirt looks like the top half of a track suit. And the dangling chain around his neck doesn't make it any better.

navyblueshorts wrote:

McLaren wrote:Navy

I think Tigers nike clothes were actually re-branded M&S.

:laugh: If only that were true.

Where else are you going to get those mom jeans.

In fairness TW just looks like a regular American suburban dude trying to look smart. ...minus 50 lbs and with a tan.

McLaren wrote:

navyblueshorts wrote:

McLaren wrote:Navy

I think Tigers nike clothes were actually re-branded M&S.

If only that were true.

Where else are you going to get those mom jeans.

I was going to say when I saw the first photo, why wear a hat when you aren't being paid to, and then I saw his bald pate on the second photo, and I think if I was that bald, I'd wear a hat too.

I'm sure Tiger is / was being paid to wear a hat every minute of the day, probably sleeps in Nike pyjamas.

What is laughable about wearing a red shirt? Don't you have any red items of clothing?