PGA Tour: Waste Management Phoenix Open: Notes from the Ballwasher

1).Back to the desert this week, Phoenix, Arizona this time, but what did we learn about last week's action?
There's Tiger looking pretty in pink, on Sunday no less.
Justin Rose playing, mostly, like a Number One, but not doing himself any favours by his "I'm not a politician, I'm a golfer" justification for joining the Saudi money grab.
Rory joining the lobby against California taxes.
DeChambeau escaping penalties as he dawdled to an emphatic Dubai win.
etc, etc.

2).An ultimately impressive win for Rose at Torrey Pines, despite a few 3rd round wobbles, with three Sixes on his Saturday card. He's apparently loving his new combination of clubs, mainly Honma with a TaylorMade and Titleist appearance in his bag with his Axis putter, and staying with his TaylorMade ball. Coincidentally, he and his mate Adam Scott (born within a fortnight of each other and with similar Tour paths) both crossed the $50M career Tour earnings mark.
Who are ahead of them? Glad you asked: Woods ($115M), Mickelson ($88M), Singh ($71M), Furyk ($68M), DJ ($56M). Els, Garcia and Kuchar round out the top ten.
The other Europeans in the Top 50 include:
Rory ($41M), Luke Donald ($36M), Stenson ($30M), Casey ($26M), and Harrington who's 50th with $24.8M which he'll be hoping to add to in his planned comeback from injury in a week's time at Pebble Beach.

3).Not sure what to think about the European Tourists going to Saudi Arabia.
During Apartheid I always thought I'd never consider visiting South Africa, but had the chance to go a few times for work, justified it to myself that it would be educational, and it was. Among other things, it's tough to tell from Europe or the US that SA contained so many nuances to its prejudice - hopefully that's changed over the past decades, but it was an eye-opener for an English country boy.
Hope the boys in Saudi learn something, the good as well as the bad - there'd be hell to pay if the Mad Scientist came home in bits in a body bag.

4).Talking of which, something not quite right about DeChambeau's flagrant slow play which goes unpunished, and the Li Haotong incident. But there's arrogance too, when he says he gets put on the clock "almost every week". Well, not exactly Bryson, your playing partners are affected also. Grow up, speed up and, to paraphrase Koepka, don't be so pathetic.

5).Tiger Woods got at least as many headlines here as Rose, and he looked pretty strong finishing his tournament in style (and, perhaps not coincidentally, in arrears). He's never won at his next stop, LA's Riviera in two weeks, but he knows where his game stands and imagine he'll be busy from Riviera onwards, perhaps picking a few favourites (Honda, Bay Hill) and choosing to miss a WGC or two.

6).It seems Tiger is getting a free pass over here for his abysmal performance in Paris last autumn. He's done wonderfully well to make it back from his dozens of surgeries, but don't let him get way with carp like Doug Ferguson quoted him as saying on Sunday:
"Finishing the year the way I did, hitting it like I did was great because I finally built it into a place where I can take a little time off and I know what I'll have when I come back." Just so long as it's not en Paris, said Tigre, and certainly not if I'm expected to assume a leadership role.

7).Good to see Rory McIlroy playing well at Torrey Pines, not a bad preview for the 2021 US Open. But why did he have to open his trap about relative taxation between California and elsewhere? Not very sympathetic Rors, you're a great interview when you talk about stuff you know something about, but not when you come across as a whining, poor little rich boy. Berk.

8).The new, compressed PGA Tour schedule will undoubtedly have some Tournament Directors scratching their heads wondering how they're going to attract stars to their events. You'd imagine Hartford would be one tournament that would suffer more than most, as it follows a US Open 3,000 miles away and is at the beginning of a stretch where PGA Tour pros, Americans especially, might fancy a breather. So it was great to read that Hartford's Travelers Championship has already attracted commitments from Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas.

9).Having a tough time picking anyone to beat the threesome of Fowler, Matsuyama and Mickelson in Phoenix. I'm interested in seeing how Tyrrell Hatton makes out and how Alex Noren follows up his dismal Thursday last week at Torrey Pines. I have to pick a one-and-done and will probably go with last year's runner up, Chez Reavie.

10).Happy 50th birthdays this week to Ken Duke (which you won't much care about) and, difficult to believe, Retief Goosen who still has his days competing on the "Big" Tour. It'll be interesting to see how he does on the Champions Tour, or indeed, if he'll play much.
Meanwhile, Transfer Deadline Day Thursday, stay by the phone, you never know. Charlie Austin to Pompey would be a nice present for moi.

Isn't all this talk about Saudi Arabia a bit hypocritical? Tours go to some pretty terrible places like China, Turkey, Qatar etc and no one says a thing. Even America is pretty dodgy in some of its human rights.

super_realist wrote:Isn't all this talk about Saudi Arabia a bit hypocritical? Tours go to some pretty terrible places like China, Turkey, Qatar etc and no one says a thing. Even America is pretty dodgy in some of its human rights.

Perhaps. That's why I included my own experience.

Sounds as if Gary holier-than-thou Player's son has got himself into a bit of bovver over Masters hospitality indiscretions. Probably not doing enough press ups.

https://www.golfchannel.com/news/gary-players-son-arrested-fraud-stemming-2018-masters

I wasn't calling you hypcrotical Kwini, just the rather pious talk around the tour.

Personally, I've had the chance to work in Saudi Arabia, but didn't fancy living in a theocracy with no alcohol. I would work somewhere a little more liberal in the region like Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Qatar even though you could question the same things people question Saudi Arabia for, minus the public executions.

As for De Mad Scientist's slow play. It reminds me of Nadal's flagrant cheating/OCD/time wasting/gamesmanship call it what you want going completely unpunished. Seems if you're a big enough name, you get away with anything.

No! I know that - just wanted to stress that a bit of balance is a good thing.

Golf is played in some countries with questionable histories. I just think there should be a line sonewhere. And a brand new event in Saudi is probably it. Not many countries have admitted to chopping up a foreign journalist, as authorised by its leaders. Surely there needs to be a line.

beninho wrote:Golf is played in some countries with questionable histories. I just think there should be a line sonewhere. And a brand new event in Saudi is probably it. Not many countries have admitted to chopping up a foreign journalist, as authorised by its leaders. Surely there needs to be a line.

In the world of the snowflake, I'm not sure it's that simple. You've got idiots pouring paint over war memorials and statues to Churchill in this country. No matter where you draw the line you'll always get idiots insistent that countries today have to be constantly apologising for dodgy behaviour of the past. It has to stop somewhere and we have to move on. Pretty sure if you wanted you could find something just as terrible in every country the European Tour stops in. Should we stop holding tournaments in Spain because of the Inquisition or having a Fascist government in the past? I'm sure some Owen Jones type would make such an argument. How about Italy? Germany, Morocco, Turkey, India etc?

Being all holier than thou about Saudi Arabia in a sporting context when we've got thousands of workers there, many arms deals, business links, diplomatic ties, reliance on oil etc. A golf tournament is really very small beer indeed and rather hypocritical. Perhaps such an event might have a more positive effect on Saudi Arabia than damage? There's always two sides to a coin.

Alright then.
The boys in Phoenix are on the range, which must be floodlit!
First tee-time 7.20 a.m., sunrise 7.24 a.m., but it's still a shortish day in Arizona so it's the only chance for the Tour to squeeze in a full day's play - also the reason they let BDeC a release to Saudi.

Action less than 20 minutes away, and polar vortex well to the North!

super_realist wrote:

beninho wrote:Golf is played in some countries with questionable histories. I just think there should be a line sonewhere. And a brand new event in Saudi is probably it. Not many countries have admitted to chopping up a foreign journalist, as authorised by its leaders. Surely there needs to be a line.

In the world of the snowflake, I'm not sure it's that simple. You've got idiots pouring paint over war memorials and statues to Churchill in this country. No matter where you draw the line you'll always get idiots insistent that countries today have to be constantly apologising for dodgy behaviour of the past. It has to stop somewhere and we have to move on. Pretty sure if you wanted you could find something just as terrible in every country the European Tour stops in. Should we stop holding tournaments in Spain because of the Inquisition or having a Fascist government in the past? I'm sure some Owen Jones type would make such an argument. How about Italy? Germany, Morocco, Turkey, India etc?

Being all holier than thou about Saudi Arabia in a sporting context when we've got thousands of workers there, many arms deals, business links,  diplomatic ties, reliance on oil etc. A golf tournament is really very small beer indeed and rather hypocritical. Perhaps such an event might have a more positive effect on Saudi Arabia than damage? There's always two sides to a coin.

I also think the arms deal we have is fricking disgusting, what with the use in yemen. Any deals we have with the Saudis are wrong. But the government is weak as pisss. Its all pretty horrible with a horrible country.

Martin Kaymer playing Phoenix this week.
Wonder if the experts can help here: Does his 5-year exemption apply for the entire season, or just thru' US Open?

Regardless, he could do with stitching four solid rounds together, Mister Consistent getting progressively inconsistent in his advancing years.

Someone must have told Justin Thomas of princedrac's projection that DeChambeau could overtake him in the owgr's this week - dunno if that's the motivation but certainly off to a good start.

Cheers kwini. You seem to keep forgetting one European player in your rundowns: Rory...


(No, the other one.)

pedro wrote:Cheers kwini. You seem to keep forgetting one European player in your rundowns: Rory...


(No, the other one.)

At one time last week it looked as if they might be playing together, but sadly it didn't happen and I didn't get the chance to foresee the preview for RC pairing - in Roary's dreams!

kwinigolfer wrote:Martin Kaymer playing Phoenix this week.
Wonder if the experts can help here: Does his 5-year exemption apply for the entire season, or just thru' US Open?

Regardless, he could do with stitching four solid rounds together, Mister Consistent getting progressively inconsistent in his advancing years.

Someone must have told Justin Thomas of princedrac's projection that DeChambeau could overtake him in the owgr's this week - dunno if that's the motivation but certainly off to a good start.

Has always been 5 years from the tournament win to my knowledge Kwini. Believe he needs to find an exemption for the Open, and OK for the other three.

NedB-H wrote:

kwinigolfer wrote:Martin Kaymer playing Phoenix this week.
Wonder if the experts can help here: Does his 5-year exemption apply for the entire season, or just thru' US Open?

Regardless, he could do with stitching four solid rounds together, Mister Consistent getting progressively inconsistent in his advancing years.

Someone must have told Justin Thomas of princedrac's projection that DeChambeau could overtake him in the owgr's this week - dunno if that's the motivation but certainly off to a good start.

Has always been 5 years from the tournament win to my knowledge Kwini. Believe he needs to find an exemption for the Open, and OK for the other three.

Thanks Ned,
That's what I assumed, but never quite sure. Regardless, he needs a good round Friday just to get paid. Good work from Hatton & Laird - this is pretty much the end of Martin Laird's favourite tournaments; hope he keeps it going.

The field completed 18 holes Thursday and weather looks set fair for Round 2 to wrap up on schedule - not sure but imagine that's the first time for that to happen in PHX for a few years.
Conditions look good for more low scores today, but we could have rain on Sunday.

Good work Thursday by Laird & Hatton; not so clever from Knox & Power who need to improve if they want to play on the weekend.


This is pretty much the end of a string of events where Laird plays well and stacks up FedEx points so that he can go walkabout most of the spring - he's comprehensively squandered strong positions in the Desert & San Diego and can't afford a hat-trick of stumbles. The season is almost 30% in the books and he won't be qualifying for WGC's & Majors so, in effect, he's more than a third of the way thru his year.

Kaymer is exempt through this season.

The reason why he got kicked off the tour for the 2015-16 season was his failure to play 15 events.

He got a waiver from playing 15 events last season because of an "injury", he played 11 (which in IMO was complete BS). He was out for 5 weeks (Honda, Mexico, Valspar, Bay Hill, Match Play, last March.

He made no attempt to play any regular PGATour events after the Players Championship. NONE. No good faith effort. Given his history in 2015, the PGATour should not have given him a waiver.

Just another case of a player thinking he can play the PGAtour and coast to the BMW Championship and play the absolute minimum number of tournaments. It happens to a European player almost every year. Stenson is nearly always in that situation. But it happened to Spieth and Poulter last year (new event requirement). It also caught Ross Fisher last year (13 events last year)

I’m watching what is called “Featured Groups” on Sky. Phil, Rahm. Bubba Xander Hideka and Woodland. Mildly amusing commentary team (from the US). Not taking themselves too seriously but serious comments re golf. Nice change from the usual crew.

GPB,
You take some of these "Europeans" too seriously - yes, they strike lucky, but guys like Fisher are pretty much playing the lottery rather than striving to be good-faith (sorry supes) members. Kaymer & Stenson have both hit the jackpot a time or two, and I'm sure most plan their schedule with their eyes wide ope. Probably not Lowry though.


I wonder who the SKY jokesters are, Inw, not many US broadcasters bring their humour gene to the commentary booth, Rich Beem perhaps, Roger Maltbie, but you'd recognise them.


As for guessing Rickie, Hideki and Phil against the field, Phil has already hit the road. Pebble Beach next week.

With all due respect, Kwini, that is just rationale and Spin. IOW, Bull Excrement.

Some European Tourists playing at Pebble Beach include:
Rafa C-B
Casey
Cejka (he plays pretty well here)
Matty Fitz
Tommy Fleet
Knox
Laird
Lowry
McDool
Roary
No Harrington, who had targetted this event for his comeback.

Darren Clarke & Goose playing the Champions Tour event.


GPB,
Just saw that comment. Which particular point are you contending?
Presumably the failure of US Network commentators failing to bring any latent sense of humour to their broadcasts.

The comment about Euro players not fully committed to playing the PGATour. They are able to get their Tour Card through performing at 3 Standard Deviations about their norm but cannot sustain the good play to get their tour card.

And Please, spare me the Ryder Cup argument. Sigh...Its Match Play, over 18 holes and not an indication of tour strength. EuroTours elite players are just as good as US elite players, and they join the tour and stay here. Its just that the non-elite players from the Euro Tour often cannot keep their cards. Besides Fisher, Kaymer and Olesen, there has been Gonzo, P. Hanson, Kjeldson. Marcel Siem went through the WTF a few years and couldn't make a cut.

Kwini - the on course commentator was someone called Jim Middleton? Played against Phil when he won US Amateur at Cherry Hills.

GPB wrote:The comment about Euro players not fully committed to playing the PGATour.  They are able to get their Tour Card through performing at 3 Standard Deviations about their norm but cannot sustain the good play to get their tour card.

And Please, spare me the Ryder Cup argument.  Sigh...Its Match Play, over 18 holes and not an indication of tour strength.  EuroTours elite players are just as good as US elite players, and they join the tour and stay here.  Its just that the non-elite players from the Euro Tour often cannot keep their cards.  Besides Fisher, Kaymer and Olesen, there has been Gonzo, P. Hanson, Kjeldson.  Marcel Siem went through the WTF a few years and couldn't make a cut.

As the youngsters say, LOL. You're the one who takes Matchplay Ryder Cup matches and tries to make a strokeplay case for how bad people (Europeans) have played in the matches they've won to excuse how bad America are in it. There's just as many "non elite" players from America and Europe on the PGA who don't keep their cards, if you actually bothered to look. There's nothing that makes European players worse than their American contemporaries or more likely to lose their cards

Why would you expect people like Kjeldsen, P Hanson, Gonzo who aren't elite players etc to keep their card when people like Hunter Mahan, Cabrera, Stallings,  or Geoff Ogilvy haven't been able to keep hold of theirs in the past. (before you say it, I know they're not all American, but it's examples of people who haven't kept their cards)

What you are doing is confirmation bias. There's been plenty of Yanks who have got their playing rights, only to lose them and disappear into the ether never to be seen again.
There's only a very few players who remain mainstays and where you come from isn't relevant, you simply have this anti European bias that means you don't look a the results in a unbiased manner. You pick a few names from Europe who haven't kept their card and ignore all the Americans of a similar standard who have also failed to keep their cards and make the conflation that being European means you are less likely to keep it, or haven't put in sufficient commitment. It's nonsense. You're more one eyed than Mac when it comes to making an argument.

Cheers Inw,
Not heard of him, but I'll look out for him now.


GPB,
You brought up the Ryder Cup, not me. And don't know why you did.
And not sure why you characterise Kaymer, for one, as a non-elite player; not now perhaps but he's been good enough to win 2 1/2 Majors.

Fisher (both times) is exactly the sort of player I had in mind - has never seemed committed to a realistic schedule, never a good enough putter to justify any especially great expectations, etc, etc. Kjeldsen too, I suppose.
Others have had untimely injuries, Hansen for instance, Hanson, Karlsson, even Casey - tho' he ultimately used the ET as the stepping stone he needed to clamber back.
Gonzo made the commitment, moved over lock, stock and barrel, and hasn't been successful. Which is a shame, but anyone who expected Siem to do anything here hasn't been paying attention.

After the nonsense with Haotong Li in Dubai, Denny McCarthy got pulled over in Phoenix yesterday. On a 65-yard wedge shot:

https://www.golfchannel.com/news/usga-and-ra-need-fix-caddie-alignment-rule-now

Sometimes the law is an ass.

EDIT:
Very good to read that the Tour rescinded McCarthy's penalty from Round 2, told him halfway thru' Round 3 - but then . . . . . . . . I thought that once the card was signed, all scores were final.
Another can of worms.

Meanwhile, can Rickie win this thing? He's been here (close, anyway) before, can he bring it home??

Super, the ET players mentioned are multiple ET winners and have been ET elite players for several years before taking the jump. You’d expect them to at least make the WTF cut or hang on to their PGAT card.

Off and running in Phoenix. Rickie Fowler with a four shot lead (field stretched, Fowler seven strokes ahead of Ben An & Grace in 4th, ten shots ahead of eighth) but he's stumbled and bumbled here before. Would be a big win, at last, for him, probably a bit emotional too.


17 pars and a 2-putt birdie for Laird but he needs to go low today for a decent finish. His tendancy recently has been to slip into reverse; if he repeats that trick it'll be a long year for him. Good chance for Hatton & Knox to get a top ten too.

Rickie trying hard to open the door for the competition, but no-one interested in taking the opening.
Hatton with one of the better rounds on the course.

Rickie making heavy weather of this - trouble is, so are his closest "pursuers".


Laird has played himself out of any sort of good finish, it'll be a long hard season for him now.

Unlucky break for Rickie. After taking a drop for ball going into penalty area, he has to place ball. Walks away, and ball rolls back into penalty area (water). Has to take another drop under penalty. Cost him 3 shots

I'm never wrong wrote:
Unlucky break for Rickie. After taking a drop for ball going into penalty area, he has to place ball. Walks away, and ball rolls back into penalty area (water). Has to take another drop under penalty.  Cost him 3 shots

Just two strokes in the end, but still a triple.
PGA Tour stats reckon no-one has won on Tour with a double and a triple (or more) in their final round - there's always a first time, though.

Kwini

Did Ricky gouge up the next five greens?

McLaren wrote:Kwini

Did Ricky gouge up the next five greens?

Who's Ricky?

Delighted for Rickie, he was close here a couple of years back and had a disaster on 18. Delighted he got the job done today. Now for that 1st major! No pressure Rickie

kwinigolfer wrote:

McLaren wrote:Kwini

Did Ricky gouge up the next five greens?

Who's Ricky?

The champ.

Btb, IIRC Rickie hit it in the water on 17 a few years ago, just like Grace did today. I also recall we debated that incident quite thoroughly.

Well done to Rickie Fowler, but what a grind - not sure what the average length of putts is thru 72 holes for a touring pro, but Trickie was up close to about 400 feet. That's a lot, and good for him. Disappointing for Branden Grace, but Azinger said how tricky it was for the "posse" to find themselves, all of a sudden, in front, and Grace certainly stubbed his toe.

No-one with better final rounds than Hatton & Knox.

McLaren wrote:

kwinigolfer wrote:

McLaren wrote:Kwini

Did Ricky gouge up the next five greens?

Who's Ricky?

The champ.

You've lost me, no gouged greens in PHX and no champ called Ricky.

However he spells his name he did well to keep his cool and win after that freaky triple.

Seven early withdrawals from Pebble Beach - they must have seen the forecast, which is pretty grim.
Among the w/d's is Schwartzel who seems to have lost his form completely. Anyone know any particular reason why?

For anyone still interested in the PGA Tour action, these Europeans are among the early commitments for Riviera:
Rahm
McIlroy
Molinari
Fleetwood
Casey
Garcia
Hatton


For those interested in a suitable punishment for Sergio, including Iain Carter, surely a year's suspension from the European Tour would disqualify him from the WGC's - and that would be a meaningful sanction for someone who already plays a light PGA Tour schedule and could now be struggling to get his 15-ish events in? Just a thought. Otherwise, everyone is right, he escapes scot-free which is ridiculous.

EDIT: Plus Pelley could have a word with the Tour and make sure he gets his fair share of groupings with guys like Na and Grayson Murray

Kwini

Honestly not bothered about what punishment Sergio gets I would just love to see one of the Sergio apologists on here admit that he is a pea brained douche bag.

Mac,
I'm sure there are some of us, like me?, who you would consider Sergio apologists, but it's not very constructive to call names without any idea of corrective action to make sure that neither Sergio nor anyone else, contemplates such a numbskull, dumbf*ck act again.

Plenty of Sergio apologists here.  

I'll suggest "constructive" corrective action: kick him off the ET for a year. There, done.

Shotrock wrote:Plenty of Sergio apologists here.  

I'll suggest "constructive" corrective action: kick him off the ET for a year. There, done.

I think I recommended that four hours ago. But the WGC kicker is what makes it effective.

Kwini

Your wgc spot was a good shout.

Also no shame in being a Sergio fan boy, given my tiger fetish I can hardly knock you for it.

Anyone know what this streaming thing is that Rory seems to be launching with the golf channel? Is it like the new f1 app?

McLaren wrote:Anyone know what this streaming thing is that Rory seems to be launching with the golf channel? Is it like the new f1 app?

RE: Rory's new thing with Golf Channel... I don't know what the f1 app is... but here's the lowdown on the Rory thing...

1. Golf Channel already has a Tee-Time Booking operation called GolfNow. (pretty big and successful one from what I can tell)
2. Golf Channel also recently acquired a subscription "instruction portal" called Revolution Golf. it's basically a bunch of the mostly US based swing coaches who have put up various lessons via video, answers subscribers questions etc... I got NO CLUE how successful it has been.
3. Golf Channel has been signing up "resort partners" for a few years now and offering play/stay packages. But that's been mostly thru 3rd parties or their AM Tour which plays events at a lot of those resort properties.

Rory comes in as GC is basically leveraging/bundling the assets above together (minus the AM Tour) into one program called GolfPass. Rory will in effect be the "face" of GolfPass and will be adding video lessons/content from the top level PRO perspective. Members will also get various discounts on Tee-Time bookings, Resorts accommodations etc.

RE: Topic above on European Dual-Tour members.

I used to have more of an issue with the dual-tour ET guys not fulfilling obligations until I got to understand it better. ABSOLUTELY YES, membership has it's obligations and players should make a good faith effort to meet them, but if they don't always... so what really? IMO there's sufficient penalties (loss of membership for a year) to those who don't meet their PGAT minimums.

To me most the issues come from the guys who aren't really top-tier players who try to Dual Tour. IMO it's getting harder and harder to do unless a player commits as full time as he can to the PGAT and decides to play the ET at pretty much a bare minimum. But that's a HARD decision to make, so I "get" that the Ross Fisher types will often fall short over here. Basically they're setting up their schedules that if they don't get in enough of the co-sanctions or deep enough into the playoffs... they AIN'T gonna make their minimum. But they know that, and IMO that doesn't concern them.

Nor does it really concern the PGA Tour, at least anymore. There used to be more of a "punitive" attitude from the Tour on guys who didn't meet membership requirements. It's not that way now. It's more like if they make it, "GREAT"... but if they don't, it's "Sorry you won't be with us next year as a full member, but please come play some Sponsor Exemptions and big events so hopefully you can get your card back again sometime".

And that's the way it ought to be IMO. The PGAT's objective is to get as many of the best players in the world as they can on board... Being "dic-ish" to those who are trying to serve two tours and do right by both, yet still fall short ain't the way to do it.

Robo: I see too many Webbies not getting starts partly because the STM taking spots away.

IMO, the STM should make better good faith attempts at playing the PGATour. Playing the PGATour (and $7 Million purses every week) is a privilege, not a right.

Yes I get it that trying to play both tours is difficult. TOUGH. Ross Fisher played 25 events, less than half the year. BOO FRICKING HOO.

Yes, FTR I see the irony of my statement. If STM play more, that is even less starts for Webbies. That's another argument altogether. IMO Webbies not getting starts is not a STM issue, its a FEX 125 issue, where IMO it should be FEX 100.

EuroTour exempts the Top 110. LPGA exempts the Top 80. 125 is too many.