PGA Tour: Fry's.com Open: Notes from the Ballwasher

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1).What was the big talking point in the Las Vegas desert last weekend?
~Kevin Na's win, the first of his career, which bumped Brian Davis up to #3 on the list of players with highest career earnings but no Tour win?
0r:
~Na's apparent whiff on the 15th tee in Round 3? Whilst I'm quite prepared to believe that Na's airball was part of his normal routine when he's uncomfortable with his swing, and was apparently not a whiff, I was shocked to see him suggest that, should he touch the ball in error, he was entitled to re-tee with no penalty. He attributed this ruling to PGA Tour official John Brendle (you'll see him at tournaments with the light blue shirt, bleached blonde hair and John Boehner perma-tan). Now, that I can't believe and some clarification is surely now overdue from PGA Tour HQ?

2).No controversy about the way Na won, though. The worst (statistically) ball-striker on Tour, he's also owner of one of the very best short games and he certainly proved that last weekend. No surprise that Na should snaffle his first win in the desert, two of his 3 runner-up finishes have been in the Arizona desert (Tucson and Phoenix, where he's also enjoyed two other top 4's), and he has multiple career top tens at the Bob Hope as well as good finishes in Las Vegas without hitting the jackpot.

3).Nick Watney will probably be disappointed with finishing second; he's now $550K behind Luke Donald for the money title, but I'd be shocked if he played on Tour again this year. Still waiting to find out if Webb Simpson will try to make up his $70K deficit by playing either of the year's final two events, hoping to overtake Donald.

4).Tim Herron made sure of his 2012 Tour Card by manoeuvre-ing his 15-stone (that's what pgatour.com says, probably within 5 stone anyway) into fifth place at the "Timberlake", while Na, Tommy Gainey and Spencer Levin close in on the top 30 money and a Masters invitation.

5).When I was looking at the golfers outside the Top 125 in need of good results just to keep their card, I was shocked to see Vaughn Taylor's name; he often seems to be in the shake-up, at least in the early rounds of tournaments, so what's up?
"Final Round" scoring is what's up. Since starting Bay Hill's Round 3 close to the lead and carding a weekend 76,77, he's posted his poorest round in a tournament on Sundays 7 times of the 9 final rounds he's played. In 6 of those final rounds, he's scored at least 2 shots higher than the previous three. Had he just maintained his Round 3 position on Sunday, he'd have earned an extra $450K and he'd be playing Fall Series events with job security instead of being about $400K short of the likely threshold for keeping his card.
I was only interested in Taylor because of his 2006 Ryder Cup heritage and the fact that he has fantastic tempo in his swing, great to watch. But something's going awry between the ears.
Notables with terrible "Final Round" scoring stats include, in the bottom 15:
Nathan Green, Micheel, Goydos, Daly, JP Hayes, Taylor, Beem and Cejka, all arguably on the downside of their careers. Saturday may be Moving Day, but Sunday is Pay Day and this is a stat which highlights players who are not getting it done.

6).We mentioned course conditions at Medinah CC a few weeks ago. Golf World quotes Don Larson, Chairman of the 2012 Ryder Cup, as saying:
"Nobody's satisfied with the condition of the course. But things are getting much better. We're confident the course will be ready for next year." Phew!
After all the complaints about rain at Celtic Manor, and considering last weekend is 52 weeks removed from the 2012 Chicago shindig, it's worth noting that last week's Chicago weather saw temps in the 50's and 60's and almost two inches of rain.

7).Talking of Team matches, Steve Stricker underwent an MRI last week on his neck, but no word yet on any prognosis. And his expected partner at the Presidents Cup, Tiger Woods, will have his health, physical and mental, under the microscope this week as he makes his latest return to Tour action.

8).This week's Fry's.com Open is held at CordeValle G.C. in the San Jose area on a Robert Trent Jones Jr design. What a shame it cannot be held a few miles up the road at Pasatiempo, a classic Alister MacKenzie course. Let's hope some of the players take a busman's holiday trip to play it.

9).Tiger Woods will receive all the ink this week but Paul Casey will be the highest ranked player. Els, Immelman, Sabbatini and Cabrera are other big "International" names on hand.
Woods plays Rounds 1 and 2 with Oosthuizen and Walker Cupper Patrick Cantlay - while much has been made of the fortunes of Walker Cuppers turning pro and playing their trade on either side of the water hazard, Harris English probably has the best pro result so far, losing a Nationwide Play-Off last week to Danny Lee.

10).And we can't let this week go by without speculating about Joe LaCava. Former boss Fred Couples defends his title on the Champions Tour this week in Houston. Will Joe's new man fare as well this week at the Fry's.com?

Kwini, already been mentioned before on here he might be nursing his body still, if that's the case he's hardly likely to make it common knowledge and be seen as even more of a mere mortal.
He's obviously got his reasons anyway, be they physical, personal or professional.

As suggested yesterday, the first groups out at 10.00 a.m. Pacific Time should encounter good scoring conditions, if a trifle cool. Not much wind a perhaps cloudy, but temps should warm up for the later starters and the any breeze is likely to pick up.

Opportunity for more low scores, so Baird, Casey, Els and the rest need to keep their respective foots(!) on the gas.


Greg Owen treading water on the Nationwide, but Chopra has a great chance to improve his "25" status and Groanberg is following up his decent showing last week in Scotland.


Digs,
Don't really understand your rather cryptic post, sorry!

Just saying if Woods is still concerned about his body holding up that's why his schedule could be so light. Or indeed it could be for numerous other reasons.
I'd love to see him playing more often, the fact that Casey could win and Woods is playing are the only two reasons I've got the remotest interest in this event. And I have to admit Caseys increasing smug, cheesy demeanour annoys me just a but more every time I see him.

Well, the only difference in Woods's schedule these days is he can't get in some of the tournaments he wants to anymore, still about the same number.

Hopefully Casey will have something to justify that smug, cheesy demeanour this evening. Don't you think he's always been a bit like that??!!

Yes, but for some reason time has made it more annoying for some reason. I also used to cut him slack because of his talent but his failure to maximise it is also becoming annoying, for him as well I'm sure.
Re Tiger I guess you could say that a light schedule has worked well in the past so he's loathe to change now. But I agree he needs to play more now to groove his swing.

Mr. Tiger's giving us some excitement early in the round... But can he keep it up!? Apart from all the other things, he'll need to finish higher than 28th to have any hope for a quick return into the top 50...

Tiger now 4 under after 8. If he can finish under par for the remaining holes, even 1 under, then a great tournament for him. I just hope he and the media appreciate it remains work in progress. I for one would like to see him back competing against the youngesters in next years big tournaments.

On Casey. Yes he has always came across as a bit arrogant but here in the UK he has seemed to get away with it. I heard some months ago there was something up in his private life but didn't catch what it was. I had assumed a divorce. Can anyone clarify.

A great win for Ricky Fowler. May not be acknowledged as such my US media as not a pga even, but a wins and win and gets the monkey off his back. Hopefully it will encourage the young US players to travel a bit more.

Seven out of nine greens, and only 12 putts; that's conducive to good scoring - other good scores from those back-nine-ing it among the early starters, not so much from those who started at #1.

Good start from Ernie, let's hope he and Casey can really get it going.

princedracula wrote:...he'll need to finish higher than 28th to have any hope for a quick return into the top 50...

Not sure where that 2 appeared there in front of the 8th...?! He needs to finish solo 8th or higher to move back to top 50. A bit of a setback at the 2nd hole...
Casey needs to get it going... soon...

Can't believe Amelia is out of X-Factor on the 1st week!!

pd,
I was wondering about that, but have learned never to doubt you!!!!
Would think Hanson, at least, might creep past him.

Continued good play from Trevor Immelman - really like his game, getting better month on month.

Actually that 28 might be linked with Hanson, because I was thinking about that as well when I wrote the post, and Tiger basically needs to score (anything/minimum) in order to stay ahead of Hanson. And scoring here means to finish higher than 28th! Right now he's 29th, so he'll end up @ #52 in this situation...

Casey one step forward, two back...

i dont have the mental capacity to work this out but is it just coincedence the tigger is again playing behind the final group....or am i being cynical ?

Lieger ... you are being cynical. Casey going backwards and will have to right the ship if he wants to hoist a trophy this day. C'mon BB!! You probably won't get this chance many more times!

A bit surprised the World #1 really struggled on the way in today.

That's what happens when a golfer is a middle-of-the-road competitor.

The back nine is the scoring nine, so one could say the tournament starts on the par 5 ninth. Bud Cauley making a pig's ear of it, big chance for Casey and Els to take full advantage of their length.

Sr,
Four weeks in a row, six weeks out of seven, eight weeks out of ten. We said he looked knackered, unfortunately he proved it. Perhaps former #1 can emulate his finish?

PS: Shotrock. Hope you haven't forsaken Upstate NY for the Eagles . . . . . . . ?

I think I hate Bud Cauley's dad...

intense is an understatement.
competitivedad.com

Casey taking one step forward and three steps back. Driver seems to have lost its GPS.

Smug, cheesy demeanour from Tiger. Seems everyone thinks he can turn up and turn it on. Including him. Does anyone really think that's the recipe for future success?

Nobilo's been a bit quiet but saying hard work and competition got him to the top, and hard work and playing a full schedule would get him back, is spot on I would think.

Said early in the week that he'd conjure a top 20 finish. Not likely he'll achieve that, top thirty perhaps.

Three Canadians in the top ten. Who saw that coming?

Eagle for Bertsch but would think he'll need at least one more stroke, -16?, to have any chance. Casey perhaps too far back, but Els needs to make a putt.

World #1 looked like #51 today, just a miserable finish over there. Tired? That's as good an excuse as any. That finish is no way to get the "street cred" World #1 was complaining about.

Never really a Bills fan, so Eagles are my adopted team.

Philly in sports lockdown ... go Flyers?!?

Kwin - Did you see local boy Palmeri playing for the Devils?

All I can say in mitigation is, "When did you last see #51 play a schedule like that?" Probably not since AAU basketball.

Fortunately we've established Bills country here beside Lake Champlain! Hoping Jim Kelly can buy them.

Didn't realise Palmeri was in the "show". I spent many happy evenings watching the Erie Golden Blades, the Jamestown Whatevertheywere called and the rest of them at the Aud.

We haven't had a local lad in the NHL since John LeClair, but we see Martin St.Louis, Timmy Thomas, Torrey Mitchell around quite a bit, Mitchell up at Kwini a few weeks back.

Still hope Ernie can pull this off, given up on Casey.

Kwin - LeClair a new member at my club! Nice guy. He got BIG.

LeClair has always had "big" tendencies!

Another first-time winner coming up.

I saw Briny Baird's father make his first ever appearance on the Senior Tour. In Syracuse. Not many people know that, I've tried to keep it to myself!

And Bryce Molder gave a very revealing interview, talking about how difficult it has been for him to beomce comfortable on Tour, and in the shake-up. He was one of the hottest College players of the last twenty years but spent nearly a decade as a pro before finally breaking through in 2009 and securing his card.

Not sure about Baird, but whenever Molder wins, it will be the first of many.

Off to #17 . . . . . . .

Is anybody else watching the sudden death playoff drama between Baird and Molder? Five holes failed to separate the two, and now we are at the sixth.

Great stuff; either would have been unlucky not to have won.
Baird will rue that approach to 18 that hit the stick, but he deservedly earned his card for 2012.
If he continues to stripe the ball like that, keeping his card won't be an issue next year.
Great stuff.

Disappointment then for Briny Baird and on the 18th hole in the play-off at least, very bad luck. But he secures his "playing privileges" (who made that phrase up? Must have been Finchem) for 2012, and we can safely say now that about $745K (and it could be much less) will be enough money earned for a player to keep his card.

So that's all good for Baird, David Hearn, Chalmers, DiMarco and Teater.

Big names (well, sort of) with ground still to make up include:
O'Hern
Pampling
Matt Jones
Casey
Mayfair
Trahan
Ames
Leonard
Petrovic
Taylor
Duval
Cejka
Riley
Janzen
Weekley

Kwini, what are the chances of Cauley and Hadwin getting in to any more fields this year? By my reckoning Cauley is inside the 125 as it stands, but could do with another check, while Hadwin still needs a few hundred ks.

Ned, I think Cauley qualfies to play next week due to his high finish this week but I dont know if Hadwin finished high enough.

Lairdy,Ned,
Lairdy is correct, both Adam Hadwin and Cauley qualify for McGladreys by virtue of their Fry's top ten finishes.
Should be a really good tournament, lots of top players on hand.
Just to add to that, Cauley is out of sponsor's exemptions so will need to finish top ten once again to qualify for Disney. Hadwin should be able to accept another invite.

It was interesting viewing last night. Casey had another weak finish when in a good position on the Sunday. Needs to get his act together if he wants to control his own schedule next year. Who would have seen that coming?

Great playing from Cauley, hope he gets his card. At least he knows how to behave unlike his father. Sorry what a c0ck! Why even show the man on TV?

Compelling finish wasn't it, blistering?
Casey seemed to have lost control of his driver.

Confirmation that Cauley and Hadwin are both now entered into the McGladreys.

Casey, Davis and McDowell the only GB&I contestants.

Another country heard from . . . . Jamie Lovemark entered in this week's Nationwide tournament in the Miami area. Welcome back to him.

Soon-to-be Champions Tour rookies Magee, Sauers, Triplett and Waldorf also. Plenty of other forty-somethings too.
Developmental Tour?

I see the fields for the next bout of Q-school are out Kwini. Among the more more notable Europeans venturing over are Dinwiddie, Gustafsson, Karlberg, Lafeber (all at the same venue weirdly), Garcia-Heredia, Charlie Ford and Lara. Back to the start for Richardson and Lingmerth too, though Lingmerth seems to be giving himself twice the chances by being signed up at two separate venues.

Not familiar with Charlie Ford.
I think Dinwiddie, Gustafson and Lafeber, maybe Garcia-Heredia too, all gave it a whirl last year, sure Richardson and Lingmerth did also.
Glad the fields are published, had a look earlier and nothing.
Am interested in a couple of local players so that's my next stop!

What's the deal with Karlberg? Seems to play well in Asia, struggles in Europe.

Yep, I definitely remember Dinwiddie, Lafeber and Garcia-Heredia there Kwini, got an idea Lara had a go too. Richardson and Lingmerth made it all the way to the finals, hence their Nationwide cards, must be a bit galling to be back to stage one again.

Charlie Ford was a hotshot at the Euro Q-school the year Simon Khan won it, was up there with Khan through four rounds then had a disastrous weekend and missed his card. Won one of his first Challenge Tour events but seems to have stalled since then.

Not too sure what Karlberg's problems are, he must regret not taking out associate membership last year like most of the Asian Tour regulars, cos I think he'd have played his way on tour if he had. Struggled a bit more this year, perhaps the pressure of missing out?

Good luck to your local guys!

Some old lags there as well, Ned.
Tryon, Edward Loar (American one-time European Tour player), Ireland's Keith Nolan, Villegas's ex-caddie Brett Waldman etc.
Plus sons of Haas (wonder if Bill Haas will return the compliment and caddie for his brother?), Wadkins and Wiebe, Palmer's grandson Saunders again.

Plus Tim Wilkinson of New Zealand; he's very unlucky in my book, kept his Tour card for one year, then had to take a Medical Exemption which ended with him having no status on Tour at all. Tiny guy, believe he'll be exempt into Stage 2 when the final Nationwide money is tallied.

Looks like at least one of the VT-ers has called it a day, one will definitely be in Stage 2 and another might also have given up.

Don't know why Lara tries, he just doesn't seem to have the head for a successful pro career. But maybe a change of scenery would do the trick?

Wasn't Ty Tryon meant to be the next huge star to rival Tiger, turning pro very young instead of going to college and playing collegiate system caused him to miss out on some serious competitive events that would have helped ground him.

See Waldmans having another go after a woeful time on the nationwide this term.

Didn't Wadkins junior make it to the US Open this year as an Am!

Saunders, Kwini you'll know better than us back here in blighty, does he cut the mustard or is he living off a legend of a grandads career.

Hi Mav,
Ty Tryon, Got his card at about 17, still searching for his pro career. Shame really because he must have been very good at a quasi-competitive level.

I don't think Sam Saunders cuts the mustard, Arnie's always touting him but, look, he dropped out of Clemson which is a golfing factory, and he's never buckled down long enough to make it through Q-School. Well, he's got another chance!

Mav,
Cantlay's summer was phenomenal but it feels as if he wasn't quite the same player at Royal Aberdeen ...

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kwini,

Haven't seen much of this guy on the box, but what's the general consensus about him? I only ask as he was a right miserable tw@t at the Walker Cup. I never made it across to Royal Aberdeen, but have spoken to a few members who were in the galleries. Basically all said he was like a white Woods ... blanked the crowds, didn't acknowledge any applause on the greens, and stood with his hands in his pockets at the presentation ceremony as the rest of his side clapped the winning home team. May have been a one-off, but the guy sounded like a complete d1ck.

Hi Dave,
No idea beyond the merely superficial. Haven't followed him and his TV visibility hasn't been that great.
Haven't heard anything, positive or negative, to help create an opinion either so little point in coming up with something subjective.
But behaviour like that at the Walker Cup would seem completely uncalled for.
I would suggest that British amateurs of a similar age might have a much more rounded level of experience than their American counterparts, however, most of whom will never have travelled abroad.

Chevron field confirmed:
Woods, Stricker, D.Johnson, Day, Kuchar, Watney, Simpson, B.Watson, Choi, Toms, Casey, Mahan, Furyk, Snedeker, Bradley, Laird, Z.Johnson, Haas.
Much more U.S.-centric field than in the past. Very surprised to see Darren Clarke absent for instance. Perhaps the names that are missing will be putting for dollars/rand at Nedbank?

Is McDowell not in the Chevron field? Very strange, if not?

Not as far as I can see Sky; not sure whether the timing is an issue (it's the week before the R2D extravaganza) or what.
Maybe he fell out with Tiger??!!

Also no idea why GMac is not in there...
It's gonna be a crazy week that one in any case:
- Chevron (Stricker, DJ, Jason Day, Kuchar, Watney, Simpson, Bubba, KJ, Toms, Casey, Mahan, Furyk, Snedeker, K Bradley, Laird, Z Johnson, B Haas, Woods)
- HongKong Open (Rory, Poults, Rose, Eddi, Matteo, YE, RFisher, Hanson, Jimenez, etc.)
- NedBank (Lee + loads of SAf-ers, Hansen?, Padraig ?, etc.)

Interesting that Rose, Eddi, Jimenez and RFisher played NedBank last year but they are anounced to be in the HK Open this year... Maybe GMac will go to NedBank instead...?

Pretty sure I remember GMac saying he wasnt for flying half way across the world (twice) just to play in the Chevron, when the R2D would have his attention at that time of the year. I cant remember what he said exactly as it was in amongst the kerfuffle when the scheduling came out at the start of the year.

There are about a dozen "big" events compressed in to a four or five week period, whether in the Far East, Australia, South Africa and California, plus the R2D.
All containing pretty low-hanging fruit for the top pros to maximise their easy pickings as so many offer appearance money or have such limited fields that they're guaranteed a last place pay day of $100K or more.

The "Silly Season" indeed.