PGA Tour: Notes from the Ballwasher: PGA Championship

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1).Great Scott! If Adam Scott is as genuine (and dryly funny) a guy as he seems with his interaction with galleries following him, then his wonderful win at Firestone couldn't have happened to a better man. Pity his sherpa violated one of the cardinal rules of caddying: Turn up, Keep up, Shut up. And let that be a lesson to CBS!

2).Is that the first important golf tournament in which FIVE of the leading eight finishers were 25 years old or less? I certainly can't think of any Tour event with such great performances by the young ones. Ryo Ishikawa has now earned enough money in PGA Tour events this year to qualify for 2012 PGA Tour Membership; signs are he'll take up his option, and good for him; I'd pretty much written him off!

3).And on that subject, sort of, Tim Rosaforte (leading American Golf Writer much infatuated with himself) reported in my just-received September Golf Digest a recent radio call-in conversation in which Rory McIlroy had said he's sticking with the European Tour:
"It's tough to play both Tours. I'd like to play a little more in the States, but it's just tough with everything else that's going on around the world." He's a fickle lad, that Rory; I think we're going to have to get used to it.

4).The other side of the coin is Dustin Johnson's suggestion that he's thinking about European Tour membership as his arithmetic tells him he just has thre more events to play to qualify. Not sure he's got that quite right, but interesting nevertheless.

5).Tiger Woods played at Firestone, finished 37th looking good with some aspects of his game (decent irons, putting not too bad compared to his recent-ish efforts) but dead last in driving accuracy and close to last in sand saves (one up and down out of six). He needs to improve both if he's to make the cut at the PGA Championship, let alone contend.
Tiger probably needs to finish inside the Top 20 to qualify for the 125-strong field for the first FedEx Play-Offs event, Ernie Els too, as they've both said they won't be playing Greensboro, the final tournament for earning points towards Play-Off eligibility. (Harrington, Casey, Cabrera, Oosthuizen and others also currently outside the top 125.)

6).Fair to say, I think, that Adam Scott is now clearly the leading Australian despite Jason Day's promise. And watching Steve Elkington playing at Reno makes one think of the other Aussies. The post-Elk generation of Allenby, Appleby, Green, Hensby, O'Hern, Pampling, Senden seems to have peaked and it wouldn't be surprising if none won again on Tour.
Adam Scott and Aaron Baddeley are both having fine seasons, Jason Day seems to contend in every big tournament and Geoff Ogilvy continues to be an uber-talented wildcard. Goggin will be back on Tour next year (as in all likelihood Nathan Green is relegated to the Nationwide), Leishman plugs along but Michael Sim has disappeared. And what of any young Aussies coming up behind Jason Day? Not seen nuffink yet, guv.

7).On to Hotlanta, and the second leg of the Georgia Majors, another Bobby Jones inspired venue, Atlanta Athletic Club's Highland Course. The original design was nine holes by Robert Trent Jones and nine by Joe Finger. Then Rees Jones was called in to upgrade it. And then Rees Jones was called in to upgrade it again. "Longer is better" is the Jones mantra, so we have a par 70, 7,467 yard course with a 260 yard par three and two 500+ yard par 4's. That includes the 507 yard 18th, scene of one of the more famous lay-ups in PGA Championship history when David Toms laid up from the rough and got up and down from 120 yards to beat Phil in 2001.

8).It's going to be hot and probably steamy in Atlanta with temps around 90F and a good chance of thundershowers during the week. Bermuda greens were introduced by Jones and they're expected to be receptive to shots from the fairway, but certainly not the rough (we'll see about that). And they're advertised as fast, but not especially grainy which will be good news to those from Europe.

9).One would think guys from the south-east will prosper here, Kuchar, 2xJohnsons, Love, Simpson, Snedeker, Toms, Cink, Bubba, Haas, Glover, HowellIII etc, but it looks wide open to me. Home-course advantage will not help 1981 Champion Larry Nelson or, indeed, 1976 US Open Champion, Jerry Pate.

10).And while all this is going on, our Nationwide friends will be in Missouri, Russell Knox easing closer by the week to a 2012 Tour card.

10A).In the interests of a well-balanced sporting life, I shall be hoping to watch Andy Murray on Thursday at the Montreal Masters so will be awol for a couple of days.

10B).What's that? Murray beaten already?? He must have thought tennis was like WGC Golf where the likes of Stuart Appleby can sleepwalk to $35K just for coming last. Regardless, I'm sure Plan B will be enjoyable.

BAAAAAAANG!!!!

Slowly but surely the more established names are making their presence felt up the LB. Excellent charges by Luke and Phil, and here come now Chubby's men, Charl and Lee!

What about these aussies, whenever one of their top guys is not going well, there seems to be always another one to take his place and it looks to be Senden's turn this time...

Pitty for Keegan, not a great way to start his round...

Senden has the reputation of all greens and no putts.

Karlsson moving up with two birdie holes just in front of him.

Sad ending for The Mechanic . . . .

Run Luke, run!! That ball can slip back in H2O any second...

If the mechanics end was sad by the looks of his scorecard Lukes end was a total tragedy. I did not see it but it looks like he is out the game.

Mac,
Certainly an own goal by Luke at the end, but he'll still be within shouting distance of the lead. But he'll need a 65 on Sunday, you'd think.

Karlsson looking good, Westwood too, but 3-putt from 3-feet did Adam Scott no favours.

I love Jason Dufner's pre-shot routine with his mega-waggles!

Paralysys by analysis with the Lee and Billy show reading putts.
Good opportunity lost on 11, outstanding opportunity fudged on 12.

Still fancy Luke to be in the mix. What a shame the finish was so poor

Westwood again shows that if he could putt he'd be knockout

Has Rory's hand fallen off yet?

kwinigolfer wrote:Paralysys by analysis with the Lee and Billy show reading putts.
Good opportunity lost on 11, outstanding opportunity fudged on 12.

...followed by a disaster at the 14th
Another one slipping away...?

McLaren wrote:If the mechanics end was sad by the looks of his scorecard Lukes end was a total tragedy. I did not see it but it looks like he is out the game.

It has happened to loads of players on that hole. Watney has had a triple, double and a birdie on 18. If he had parred it the first two days, he'd be one shot of the lead. If he had bogied it, you would say he still had a realistic chance. I imagine there are a number of players who could say something similar, Mickelson is +4 for 18 through 3 rounds. It is a beast of a finishing hole, tomorrow will be exciting.

Difficult to say Stockton is having much impact; Lee looks just as mechanical as he has done all year.
Dufner's too good a player to let get too far ahead.

kwinigolfer wrote:Difficult to say Stockton is having much impact; Lee looks just as mechanical as he has done all year.
Dufner's too good a player to let get too far ahead.

I thought I read that he's already binned Stockton, preferring to go with Dr Bob for putting as well as mental approach. I just think he needs to go with whichever of them (or anyone else) can teach him how to read a putt. Rarely looks to have putt a bad enough stroke on a putt to get the sort of results he's getting, missing holes by inches from under 20 feet

kwinigolfer wrote:Difficult to say Stockton is having much impact; Lee looks just as mechanical as he has done all year.
Dufner's too good a player to let get too far ahead

To be honest, I can't see too much impact at all from working with Stockton. And more or less the same goes for Rory, if there's been an improvement for him, it's been really very marginal...

8 out of the current top 20 are not U.S. citizens in this PGA Championship. That would have been very notable a decade ago. Now it can be considered a disaster for European and International golf.

Didn't get to see much of Adam Scott. They gave us a token birdie miss on 18 just now. Not much of a factor though.

kwini,
2 good signs from our respective parts of the country. Your Vermonter, Keegan Bradley appears to be the real thing. The announcers are gushing over his high long shots. Brendan Steele (a comic book action name) from Southern California is showing he's not going to be a one hit wonder either.

Bradley reminds me of Martin Laird, very long with a high trajectory, prone to being a bit iffy around the greens, not least with their long putters, and slower than they should be.

Laird played with Brendan Steele and Brendan De Jonge.
Which is not as bad as some poor sap at last week's Nationwider who played with two guys called Richard Lee!

Kwini, looking back at your post about the last 12 out staying there, it appears that the answer might be 10/12. Only Jobe and Vegas have fallen

ryan,
I was worried that might come back to haunt me, so many guys came on like Donald and Westwood but then fell back!

Some oil being spilled, hub caps flying, but not many whels coming off, except apparently Furyk's!

Do you think because it's a leaderboard with let's face it, not many major winners on it (3 in the top 20), with 2 of them a decade ago, that whereas there'd usually be a few of the serial contenders (Woods, Els, Singh), that they're actually looking around and thinking I can beat Anders Hansen/Scott Verplank/DA Points. Still expect at least 1 or 2 of them to go into meltdown tomorrow.

Not sure that Dufner has missed a green yet, perhaps on the fringe on 13 but think he's hit all the rest. Impressive.

And Well Done! Anders Hansen, quietly compiled a good record this year in big events, would be even better had he not given Kuchar half a dozen bites of the MatchPlay cherry when he should have won easily.

Really don't know, ryan. But I DO know that all the guys up there are well capable of winning this, possible exception of Senden and Hansen.
But -1's still in with a great chance I'd think.

Paul Casey's off with his friends again at 8.10 Sunday morning. Other tee times of note include:
9.10: Fisher, McIlroy
12.50: FMolinari, Noren
1.10: Westwood, De Jonge
1.30: Donald, Levin
1.50: Scott, Senden
2.20: Stricker, Hansen
2.40: Steele, Duffffner

Forecast to be hot, humid and a slight chance of a thundershower.


In the Nationwide event in Missouri, good but not great rounds by Team GB, Knox (-3), Owen (-5) and Richardson (-4) on a day when scoring was really low. Would think Knox is about a top ten away from his 2012 Tour card, Owen with a lot to do, and Richardson probably just hoping to gain Nationwide exemption for 2012.

Not looking good for my English picks of Westwood and Donald. A world #1 who hasn't won a major surely has that as their top personal golf goal. There's always next year Lee/Luke -- unless lightening strikes tomorrow.

Is McIlroy injured? I didn't see that coming.

Beware Striker tomorrow.

McIlroy strained a tendon in his wrist/forearm hitting through a root early in his round on Thursday.

Today's play didn't have the air of a Major to me but obviously late double bogeys by #1 and #2 took the wind out of their sails.

Perhaps you're right, Shotrock; don't think anyone in golf would begrudge Stricker a Major, and I'd think this is his best chance. Could be a good four-weeks for the over 40's.

But the -1's and -2's could be a serious threat if they could get off to a good start - brand new territory for the top four, even Verplunk really.

its been great so far

Kwini,
I think history tells us that the -1's have no chance(very little anyway). Stil can't believe Westwood took on that 2nd shot at 14 which has effectively ended his chances.................

I'm really disappointed with this championship. Or should I say tournament, as it really doesn't feel much different to any other week on the PGA tour, except for once the scores aren't ridiculously low. Nobody seems to really want to win, none of the big names from either side of the pond are really challenging and there's a strong chance the winner could be playing in his first 'major'. If there's one consolation, it has to be that it will weaken the argument that Luke isn't (and Lee wasn't) a proper world no. 1 because of the lack of majors. They are consistently there or there abouts, but where are the likes of Curtis, Hamilton, Micheel, Beem now their week in the sun is a distant memory?

Agree Smithers: Steele, Bradley, Duffner -- YAAAWWN!

Smithers,
It reminds me of the Micheel PGA win when he beat Chad Campbell.
Still, these guys at the Top are playing great golf but our enjoyment is less because there are relatively unknown and the European challenge is not there.
At -1, i really don't see any chance for Donald or Westwood. Even if one of them got to -4 or -5, i would expect them to fall back in a push for more as often happens when someone leaps from the pack...............

The leaderboard could easily have been from the viking classic.

Mc,
A bit disrespectful?.......lets face it, with Tiger no longer dominating, the best players in the world at present(Donald, McIlroy, Scott Westwood, Mickelson) do not have the consistency and as such we have 3 guys up there who are chasing their first major......................this is a superb Major venue, a brilliantly set up golf course................we aren't happy because there isin't a Donald, Wstwood or Mickelson among the leaders.........................

Still feels to me that Stricker is the leader at -4, and that that brings in the -1's and evens if one of them can conjure up a 64 or better, seems -6 is a likely winning score unless one of the four leaders plays out of his skin for the fourth day running.

John,
I'd take issue with the "brilliant set up", it's basically, "play well for 13 holes, boys, then hold on for the last five." Would prefer to see some opportunities for guys to move forward, as well as back, on 14 thru 18.

Phil's been saying how good 18 would be. If played as a 570-yard par 5. I think he has a point, given the green, a bit like Wentworth's 18th in that it's not built to receive a 200-yard shot.

Kwini,

Lengthening 18 would surely mean that would surely only mean everyone lays up.................and make it a boring 80 yard pitch for the whole field. I think Duffner and Bradley showed last night that the hole can be played and if you hit a good drive, it can give a chance of a 3.

I don't see -1 being in with any chance. There are too many players ahead of them and i don't see too many faltering......................

I would take both Duffner and Steele's chances above Stricker although of course things can change............

Westwood has always been chasing and he seems to have mental issues about his putting (in the same way as DC).......hope he can shoot 65 but i don't see it......................

John,
I think the notion is that it would still be a challenging drive and that a player out of position for his second shot would have a difficult lay-up, but a super drive would still give the player a long crack at the green. Agree Bradley and Duffffner hit great shots, the two best of the day according to CBS.
Looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

No confirmation of rain overnight and currently fair weather for Paul Casey and the other early starters, slight chance of showers later on.

PS: McLaren: I see there's a town called Redan in the Atlanta suburbs, doesn't say whether they have a special little par 3 course there.

Kwini,

It's a shame to see Westwood so frustrated.........i just hope he doesn't push things and goes and plays his normal game and if they drop they drop............

I cant say i saw much of it last night but why is Hansen being ignored in the coverage ??

John,
I saw most of the CBS coverage and only saw Hansen hit one shot, and that was recorded. Disgraceful really, perhaps today will be a tad more fair and balanced. Though I'm not holding my breath.

John
It is not a great course or a great set up, the venue lacks the special feeling a major should provide. Does it really compare to st georges, pebble, TOC, Merion, shinni, winged foot, Muirfield etc?

As I said earlier it may as well be bay hill or doral with all the silly water carries and tight fairways.


As for the leaderboard, it is the worst I can remember for a long time in a major, which is not disrespectful especially when you think of the golfing public who have to watch.

Still think we'll have a good-looking leaderboard by the time the trophy's handed out.
No moves by the early starters, except backwards for Rory and Padraig.

I have to be honest, apart from the dissapointment of both Luke and Lee yet again failing to live up to their world rankings, I am thoroughly enjoying this tournament. I think its great to see some "unknowns" at the top of the leaderboard, even if it is just to see how they cope with the pressure. I mean wouldnt we all want to be in that position, and then think...bloody hell, Im leading a major!! Crikey!!! Cant wait to see how it turns out!

I dont think that the -1's are out of it, however I dont see anybody from that score winning! I think personally that it is Strickers to lose, maybe Adam Scott being his main challenger...Cant wait tho, bring it on..GREAT STUFF.

John

Hi Johnny, Welcome to the Ballwasher!

Certainly agree one of the -1's would need a very special round, but there really aren't that many golfers in front of them. Schwartzel at -2 is in pole position to win the unofficial title of best record in the Majors this year; helped by McIlroy's injury.

I would laugh hard if Hansen took the title. Haven't seen him, but he is not Mr. Nobody, having won the European PGA Championship twice. Maybe the American tv producers are so overwhelmed with the outlook of a US major champ they forget the others. Or maybe they are just plain confused which of the Hansens/sons we are talking about?

Agree with Kwini re. 18th, but I think alterations should be made to the green as well, avoiding too many players laying up (as on Wentworth).

There's a player in this week's Nationwider called Trent Whitekiller.
Not an attractive name to go through life with would you think?

Will people finally realise a massive water carry on 18 is not all its cracked up to be?

Agreed Mac, Can't think of a single example of an extended forced water carry in front of a par four green which enhances the hole.

Best of its kind that I can think of is the 18th at Salem CC outside Boston, which is a great hole. But there the water is Celtic Manor-like 20 or 30 yards in front of the green and just has grass fronting the water and not railway sleepers or brick walls.

No reat train wrecks out there this morning, perhaps today's set-up is softened somewhat?

Certainly about the waterfront par 4's. Where is the logic in such designs? Is it the intent of the designers to limit the options for attacking a hole? Doesn't make sense unless there are the rare extenuating or exceptional circumstances which would make it desirable. Sounds like the gimmicky courses Mac referred to.

Rickie wearing his Sunday prison garb. Yesterday's white shirt with light green accents was actually decent. He needs to ditch the complete orange. Obviously hasn't contributed to any victories. But again, neither has anything else.

Yuta displaying Jedi powers. Or was that Yoda...

Ikeda-san's late birdie spree made me have a look at his card and... he must be the only one out there who birdied the 18th twice in the first 3 rounds!! (Ok, he got one bogey as well, but still...)

Not exactly Mr.Consistent this past fortnight but very good to see Larrazabal having some top-class rounds.

Playing with Le Tigre DuBois in rounds 1 and 2 seems to have rubbed off on Harrington and Love.

However I kinda liked the 18th last year at Whistling Straits. Similar type of hole, but with a creek in front of the green.

Also maybe something of a hint about how Matteo will adapt and approach his course management in the coming years is his play after suffering a triple on the 18th of round 2. He has managed a balance of 3 birdies, 2 bogeys and 26 pars over his last 31 holes. Hope this is a glimpse of things to come.

Furyk plus six for his last six holes; the curse of the long putter? Rehardless, not his week.
But Allenby got my message he's in my Ned fantasy team!


pedro,
At least you could play up to the right of the green at WStraits . . . . . still think it's a bit contrived but still.

Have to agree with you, pedro. I'm a sucker for those creeks and thin crevices snaking their way through courses as long as they don't discourage low trajectory and bump and run shot considerations approaching the greens.