PGA Tour: The McGladrey Classic: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).About time too! Congratulations to Bryce Molder for prevailing in a compelling six-hole Play-Off against Briny Baird at last week's Fry's.com tournament. Both have been among the top players (Baird is first!) among Tour veterans without a win, and Molder's victory comes more than a decade after he left College as one of only four collegiate players to have been voted "All American" four years' running.

2).I'm sure you know the other three; suffice to say one enjoyed a Tour victory while still in College, and both the other two were relatively early visitors to the winners' enclosure; unlike Molder who drifted on and off the Tour for the first eight years of the century before finalling securing his Tour Card for good in 2009. He broke through with a second-place at his local tournament in Memphis that year, quickly racked up more top twenties, and since then has been a fixture.

3).The PGA Tour is stocked with golfers who have won multiple golf tournaments, but a surprising number are players who have won only lower-tier events: Fall Series, opposite field tournaments (Vaughn Taylor has two Reno wins, no more) or relative minor stops on the Tour. This is by no means a definitive list but may nevertheless be interesting:
Jonathan Byrd: 5 wins: Southern Open and BC Open (both departed), John Deere, Las Vegas and the very limited field Kapalua.
Heath Slocum: 4 wins: Tucson, Mississippi, McGladrey (last year) and the 2009 Barclays which looks increasingly an anomaly as the years go by.
John Rollins: 3 wins: Canadian Open, BC Open, Reno.
Cameron Beckman: 3 wins: Mississippi, Fry's.com, Mayakoba
Michael Bradley: 4 wins: Southern Open, Doral (also looking anomalous!), twice at Mayakoba

So when a golfer breaks through with a win at a lesser-field tournament, ask yourself whether he's destined to be a Will MacKenzie (2 wins: Reno and Mississippi) or Troy Matteson (2 x Fry's.coms), or a Bill Haas, winner in Mississippi last year, second at the 2010 McGladrey, but now the big bonus baby! (I'll put money on Bryce Molder winning a top tier tournament, sooner rather than later.)

4).The Open Championship for 2015 to be played at St.Andrews. Surprise!
But which courses are getting short-changed by the imperative to return to The Old Course every five years? Lytham (11 years elapsed), Muirfield (11 yrs), Hoylake (8 yrs) and St.Andrews (5) have been "awarded" the next four Championships, so let's discount them.
Clearly Northern Irelands's best, RCD, Portrush, but also:
Troon (no Open since Todd Hamilton broke Ernie's heart in 2004.) 2016 perhaps?
Carnoustie (2007)
Birkdale (2008)
Let alone any new venue.
Seems that, if St.Andrews should get The Open more frequently (no argument from me) than other tracks, perhaps it should be every 6 years and not five?

5).The chips are starting to fall into place for the November / December silly season with the publication of the Chevron field. 14 Americans, plus: Jason Day, Casey, Laird and KJ Choi. No defending Champion??!!??
The Nedbank field on the same week should be published shortly.
With limited field benefits plus huge appearance fees all round the World, the calendar is chock full for about six weeks, sometimes with three or four tournaments a week. Easy money for the galacticos, but the annual threat to the integrity of World Golf's currency, the Official World Rankings.

6).Webb Simpson, meanwhile, puts Luke Donald on notice that he wants the PGA Tour "money" title, and plays this week at The McGladrey Classic. Davis Love and Zach Johnson have assembled a high quality field with top "Southerners" Kuchar, Snedeker, Glover, HowellIII, Byrd, Toms, Cink, Love, Molder, plus Allenby, Cabrera, Casey, Brian Davis, Fowler, Furyk, McDowell, Oosthuizen, Vijay and Zach etc.

7).Simpson trails Lukey by about $70K, or approximately a 15th place finish. Of course, Donald may opt to play Disney next week if he feels so inclined. We'll see.

8).The McGladrey is staged at lovely Sea Island, Georgia, on a 1928 Colt / Allison original, given a Tom Fazio update in 1998. Among those still unsure of the at least $700K season earnings necessary for a 2012 Tour card in the field are:
Pampling: $82K to go
Casey: $110K
Trahan: $233K
Leonard: $255K
Taylor: $286K
Curtis: $287K
Duval: $300K
Weekley: $434K

9).Last week was a good one for some unheralded (recently anyway) Argentine golfers. As well as Cesar Monasterio's good finish in Madrid, Eduardo Romero finished 3rd in the Champions Tour event won by Brad Faxon and that should be enough to earn him at least a strong conditional status for next year. And 32-y-o Miguel Angel Carballo's second Nationwide win all but assures him of a 2012 PGA Tour card.

10).Roger Chapman and Mark Mouland are "alternates" for this week's final "regular season" Champo Tour event, in San Antonio and I wonder whether they'll consider it worth their while to have another go at Q-School?
Haven't seen the Champions Tour Q-School fields yet, but assume that Lane will have a crack, possibly Forsbrand too?

Remember him!? Hopefully he'll make it, but I'd be quite surprised if he did... Would be good to see him play again anyway, maybe on the EST...

http://www.irishgolfdesk.com/news-files/2011/10/16/walton-chases-champions-tour-dream.html

Remember him??!!
His win vs Jay Haas in 1995 etched indelibly in the memory, as was standing beside the 17th green watvching the matches come through, hopping across to the 18th tee to see the tee shots, and watching the 18th hole denouements on a Watchman TV!

Good luck to him; I haven't seen all the fields yet, pgatour.com likes to keep these things a secret, but I'll be surprised if he's the only European entered.

Just a slight chance of morning fog on Sea Island, Georgia, as the opening tee-times of The McGladrey draw close. Should be a luvverly day, once again warming, and perhaps breezing, up as we go. Sunny and low 80's. Perfect.

Somewhere Luke Donald is keeping his fingers crossed that Webb Simpson takes 35 putts again today . . . . .

And I'm hoping South Africa has another good day.

Bubba Dickerson through the Nationwide front nine in 50 minutes, three under par. At this rate he'll've teed off at 7.25 and have his feet up by 9.05.
Took him the conventional four hours to shoot 78 on Saturday.

I feel totally anal about this but I love to see the odd remarkable achievement, even if it is exactly that, odd.

Buuba Dickerson now checking his card in the scorer's tent after racing around the Nationwide course in a fraction more than 1 3/4 hours - four under par 67 which contained seven birdies. The next pair only just starting their back nine. Where's John Paramor?

Stories here that Luke Donald might be without a regular caddie at Disney, John McLaren having just got married and said to be moneyhooning.
Perhaps Christian will be roped in?

Fine start from Simpson but catastrophe followed by disaster by Horschel.

Do I remember correctly from 606 that Horschel was hot-dogging it in his matches vs McIlroy during the 2007 Walker Cup? If so, not sorry to see his disappointment.

No super low rounds in the bank, plays in to Simpson's hands really; he doesn't need to win, just needs to maximize the margin between he and Luke.

Billy Horshel looks like mossing his card and having seen his tanrums I find myself hoping he doesn't keep his card

Evenin / aftnoon folks, "hot doggin it" not familiar with that one Kwini? Somethin else from Simpson what a year...

Did he just say your in the bible study playoff?

Let's hope any prayers are pointed in Dan Wheldon's direction right now. Horrific crash apparently in Las Vegas.

Horschel looks to have all the composure of Pat Perez.
Good player if he ever gets himself sorted out though.

If Crane wins, Luke has a chance next week; if Webbo wins, Luke might as well stay at home.

Seriously injured is the way they're describing it, not good. Not a fan of Crane, but to keep it interesting we need him to win it.. Have to admit im really impressed with Simpson tho, he hasnt got a great swing, but still manages to play great..

A lot of tiddlers missed by Simpson this weekend. Finally one too many.
Luke playing for first or second, then fingers crossed.

How are the Gorey Details B_T_B?

Lol Kwin, been a bit mental over the past few weeks. A lot goin on. But looking better now thankfully. Didnt even get to see much of the RWC, although did see Wales play France off the park only to not get their just rewards. I hope all is well in Kwini land, theres a mass panic over here that a certain Ronan may be hanging up his international boots... A dark day for your ndn's if it transpires that way.

Glad tho to see Lukey has a chance to put his case forward, On the ET what a win from Tom Lewis. As the guys have said I hope the media dont ruin the
kid. Thats where Westwood n Monty n Faldo come in.

All's well here thanks, storms done their job on the golf courses though.

ndn's jubilant after the Aussie game, not so much since then.

Bad news from Las Vegas for Wheldon, unelievably sad. Ben Crane's god not much help to DW.

Gotta hit the hay Kwini, was up early today. Great to talk to you again, look after yourself

Just noticed the Dan wheldon news. What are they in the 70's or something in indy car? why the hell are the fuel tanks of at least five cars in flames in 2011?

Just awful stuff, Mac.
Typical f---ing American TV Network News - led with the story but didn't even mention he was British. We're just pawns in their f---ing game.

Franchitti very outspoken about the (lack of) safety, and the crazy guys out there.

kwinigolfer wrote:A lot of tiddlers missed by Simpson this weekend. Finally one too many.

King Louis left a few out there over the weekend too. His chipping leaves a lot to be desired at times, bit of the Westwood about him. On their game it's all about fairways and greens, but streaky putters with average chipping skills.

Really sad news about Wheldon, I was hoping to wake up and read that he'd pulled though.

Confirmation that Bubba Dickerson's Round 4 in the Nationwide tournament was completed in one hour 48 minutes, while notching seven birds in his 4-under par 67. That 's about 1.61 strokes a minute.

Re Wheldon one of the most random bits of journalism Ive ever seen came in the Times this morning when in the story they quoted a Wayne Rooney RIP tweet. Why ?
Very sad when a young guy dies leaving behind two young kids but I guess you take your chances when you decide that racing very fast cars is what you are going to do with your life.

kwinigolfer wrote:Confirmation that Bubba Dickerson's Round 4 in the Nationwide tournament was completed in one hour 48 minutes, while notching seven birds in his 4-under par 67. That 's about 1.61 strokes a minute.

I can see a new add coming out... "Don't just play it fast, play it Bubba fast!"

Re "Bubba fast":
Of course, 1.61 strokes per minute is even faster than Bubba fast. I clearly should have written 1.61 minutes per stroke.

Digs,
As one of the drivers (Paul Tracy?) said in yesterday's aftermath, when a helmet and fire-proof suit is mandated, you know there's some element of risk.
But it sounds as if, by F1 standards, the track was way overcrowded and, in all likelihood, with drivers ill-qualified to be racing. Quite apart from all the inherent safety issues detailed elsewhere by McLaren.
Time (past time sadly) for Dario Franchitti and others to get to grips with this or close it (Indy Racing) down; makes no sense that drivers who, however well-qualified, didn't make it in F1 are let loose at higher speeds with inherently less safety built in, in every possible facet of the "sport".


Meanwhile, little risk to human life, as we know it anyway, at Disney World this coming week. Hope the morons who are fully exempt but who withdrew from The McGladrey once the event had started rather than give up their tee-time to someone of ambition striving for exemption will do the decent thing and leave the Magic Kingdom. Messrs Beckman, Davis, Gillis and Goydos: that'll be you lot.