PGA Tour etc: Q-Schools etc: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).First Stage Q-School is history, and so are the aspirations of many Europeans, Messrs Karlberg, Lara and Richardson among the most active, either in Europe or the Natioinwide Tour. Second Stage begins in a fortnight, and Mesrs Gronberg, Richard Johnson (times two?) and Owen are expected to be in action. No word yet on overseas visitors.

2).First Stage Champions Tour Q-School is also history. While it was great to see Barry Lane, Miguel-Angel Martin, Mark Mouland and Mike Harwood, among others, advance, it was disappointing, but perhaps predictable?, that veteran European Tour players Forsbrand and Walton came up empty. It is just not realistic for a European Tour player to take many seasons off and then come, untried and untested, to Champions Tour golf and expect to succeed. Far better to hone your skils on the Seniors Tour and recover competitive edge. Then have a go.
Among PGA Tour members of yesteryear who also fell short were Danny Edwards, Fulton Allem, John Morse, TC Chen and Lon Hinkle. Final Stage begins in Arizona on Nov 15th, when Peter Fowler, Lane, Mouland etc will compete for a handful (probably just five) of Fully Exempt Champions Tour memberships. The Field will be published shortly but is certain to include a number of household names who, surprisingly, won't have retained Fully Exempt Status.

3).The Nationwide Tour Championship threw up a PGA Tour old lag as its Champion, the rather portly Ken Duke, but also confirmed 2012 PGA Tour Memberships for Scotland's Russell Knox, Surrey's Gary Christian, and Swedes Daniel Chopra and Jonas Blixt. I'd think they'll all have their work cut out to retain their status in 2012, and anything in the top 100 of the money list should be seen as a great success. Blixt and Knox were groomed in the US Collegiate system followed by mini-tours, and hopefully they'll follow in the footsteps of their countrymen, Laird and Pettersson.

4).It's only three years since the British press was touting Chopra as a European Ryder Cup candidate as he won twice in consecutive tournaments on the PGA Tour. But he is the classic "curate's egg" sort of golfer and mixes in the wildly erratic (usually with his driver) with bursts of short-game brilliance. Tough to keep that up profitably over four rounds and Chopra will struggle again.

5).Gary Christian is an interesting story and, seemingly, an awfully nice bloke. Forty years old, a graduate of College Football powerhouse Auburn University, he embarked on his Nationwide odyssey in 1998, only becoming a regular member in his mid-thirties. 165 tournaments, 99 cuts, 2 wins and $853K in the bank later and he's due to make his first PGA Tour start in Hawaii at the Sony Open. This is already a great story; he seems a bit of a character (in a positive, rather than a Dalyesque, way) and was very amusing when sharing guest commentary responsibilities with Nationwide lifer and very short Aussie Gavin Coles.

6).Others moving to the "show" include: Double heart-transplant survivor Erik Compton, Danny Lee, Aussies Goggin and Coles, Tour millionaires Duke and Mallinger, gaucho Carballo, "recreational drug" casualty Matt Every and one-time US Navy Officer Billy Hurley. Ryder Cupper Wetterich and Presidents Cupper Triplett both fell short.

7).I reckon that Tim Finchem would be apoplectic, real blue-in-the-face stuff, if a dozen among his leading Tour members dissed a US-based World Golf Championship. But HSBC absentees include the nucleus of a pretty good Tournament field: Simpson, Dustin Johnson, Laird, Woodland, Mickelson, Snedeker, Bubba Watson, O'Hair, Kuchar, Jason Day and Fowler. Add Champions Tour star Peter Senior (playing in the Schwab Championship), Luke Donald on paternity leave and Stricker on the sick list, and it's a case for the Americans of who's not there rather than who condescends to show up. No excuse.
Whenever there's a test of US commitment to World Golf, the PGA Tour in general, and Finchem in particular, fails. Nobody puts the w in World Golf Championships quite like Finchem.

8).Should have mentioned last week that the Tour is reviving the idea of a "modified Stableford". Successful for 21 years at one Mountain venue, Castle Pines, in Colorado, "The International" was removed from the Tour schedule following an unseemly spat between Castle Pines owner and tournament promoter, Jack Vickers, and, inevitably, Tim Finchem (with a soupcon of IMG thrown in). But now the "Reno-Tahoe" Open, staged at a gorgeous location in the beautiful Lake Tahoe area on the California / Nevada state line, will adopt the modified Stableford format: 8 points for an albatross, 5 pts for an eagle, 2 pts for a bird, nuffink for par, -1 for bogey, -3 for double bogey or worse. Good luck to them.

9).The Top 30 money winners on the Champions Tour assemble at San Francisco's historic Harding Park this week for the "Charles Schwab Cup Championship". John Cook has won the last two Schwab tournaments, but Tom Lehman is leading the year-long Schwab Cup points system and will be hoping to close out the year with another win. That would bring him Champions Tour Player Of The Year, so becoming the first golfer to win POTY on the Nationwide/PGA/and Champions Tours.
Other non-Americans competing will be Peter Senior (would he rather be at the HSBC Champions??), Nick Price, Langer, Canada's Rod Spittle, David Frost and Chien Soon Lu.
Those who will either ride their luck among alternates next year or compete at Q-School to regain their status are: McNulty, Joe Ozaki, Romero, Jim Rutledge and Kiyoshi Murota. One assumes that Roger Chapman and Sandy Lyle will not be attending Q-School . . . . . .

10).Happy story (on pgatour.com) to end with:
Harding Park has two benches beside a practice green dedicated to four-time club champion and long-time leading San Francisco amateur Ovid Seyler. A fireman by trade he battled such San Francisco amateur legends as Harvie Ward, Ken Venturi and the young Johnny Miller. Apparently he was also a lifetime do-gooder, in the best possible way.
The plaque on one bench reads: In Memory of Ovid Seyler, who eagled EVERY HOLE at Harding Park.
The other reads: In memory of Ovid Seyler, "The Insitution", Harding Park.
So many of our clubs have our own institution, but how many have eagled every hole??!!

Hi, Davie,

I hope to go back to where I left off. Help stir up the conversation a bit. Too bad the season is winding down. It has been a very eventful season for sure.

Good thing that I hadn't been on the board for the main part of the season. I would've gotten a lot of flak for Tiger's poor form or non playing.

What no one thought would happen was the dominance of Luke Donald of the OWGR. No, he is NOT dominating the game. Nobody except Rory for a brief moment did the dominating. But Luke 'the human ATM' is literally cashing in at every turn. Very impressive!

I almost wondered, if Lee Westwood had played the US Tour full time, would he have done better in the OWGR than he is now.

Finally, super agent Chubster finally took a hit for his personal vendetta against the US Tour. Losing Rory was inevitable after the stupid advice he gave Rory to withdraw his PGA Tour card. It cost Rory the PGAT Rookie award and millions in endorsements. The damage is done! Rory was such US public fascination until he turned his back on it. Now, the US fan base, except diehard fans like me, don't really care that much about him. Let's see if he could use his great play next year to rekindle that love affair from the US public.

Simba Hope you're well!

As you say, you've missed all the good stuff, not a lot of interest on the PGA Tour till January now! About the only thing up for discussion is the POTY fuss if you've got any opinions on that...! Will be keeping half an eye on the Seniors cash-in though, good to see a lot of guys I like up the top, Calc, Frost, Allen, Langer and Couples (regardless of Pres Cup nonsense)

I suppose it's the way one looks at things in professional golf, but I would not characterize Norman as extraordinarily unlucky in 72 hole golf tournaments. He's won plenty, that's for sure. Was Larry Mize simply lucky, or was it just a great shot? Was Geoff Ogilvy extraordinarily lucky that Monty and Mickelson played their 72nd hole so poorly? Again, 72 is a lot of holes to decide things.

And I'm certainly not going to give Norman any vision points. Lots of people have predicted professional golf will become more global and a lot less regional in the future. He bet it would happen sooner that it has (or is).

If Norman is extraordinary in anything (in addition to his golf), it's his business acumen IMO. Golf course design, apparel, luxury brands ... he's succeeding on a field littered with failures. Kudos to him.

Woof, Just went to see Ides Of March - not recommended. What was the point of that??!!

Actually thought Ogilvy, and Cink and Curtis, were the most fortunate Major winners of the past ten years.

Gamez, Frost, Mize, Tway . . . . the list goes on. Major play offs lost.

I remember the shock/horror of the Tour players when Norman's plan for a World Golf Tour was mooted during the Tour Championship at the Olympic Club; two years later Finchem's WGC sham became reality.

You may not call it vision, but you can certainly call it balls.

Oh well, a Presidents Cup win will salve a lot of unhealed wounds.

Ned,

POTY should rightfully go to Donald, for he is the most consistent performer. However, the votes are casted by the players and they have their biases. I doubt many of them think of LD as the best player in the game. They just have to vote for him for no one else would make a stronger case. As impressive as his year went, Luke won one stroke play tournament that is considered a second tier event. As the WGC Match Play is never given the same weight as the other WGC events.

IMHO, I believe Luke Donald is going to be a perennial top ten player for a while. He has a very reliable game that will last a long time on the tour. Unlike Poulter, Rose, LW, GMac, he doesn't have a glaring hole in his game. From 150 yards in he is as good as anyone right now. That would always keep him in contention. The trouble is, he doesn't have a knock out punch in his game that will bring him the big price. It just seems on any given Sunday, someone's very best will always be better than his best. Hope I am proven wrong. But I think he is just not great enough to win the big prices or even the tough tournaments.

Simba,
You love being provocative!

Anyone thinking Luke hasn't had the best year in World Golf this year hasn't been paying attention.
Whether he'll collect the PGA Tour POTY award is more up to personal prejudices, and I can't say anything other than the fact that he's won as many events as anyone, won the Vardon Trophy, won the PGA Player Of The Year, won the Money title.
As for the players, they're a strange bunch and their vote could, and probably will, go anywhere. Especially if Finchem has anything to do with it.

Kwini,

I was just expressing the same sentiment as you, but in a slightly different way. maybe I am so used to the VJ Singh, TW POTY standards, where 2 wins only indicate a good month of work.

So Steve Williams opens his big mouth again.

At the annual caddy awards dinner he was awarded a spoof prize of celebration of the year after his win at the Bridgestone, oops I meant Adam Scott's win.

In accepting his award he said that he really wanted to stick it to the black (expletive).

He has since apologised for his comments via his website stating there was no racial intent and he apologized to Tiger and anyone else he may have offended.

Tiger has responded through his agent calling Williams's comments regrettable.

Should make the Presidents Cup interesting, wonder if Tiger will ask Freddie to make sure he plays Scott?

It's hard to see how Steve Williams will join Scott at the Prez Cup. This last outburst is way out of line.

All very unfortunate, What an idiot. Greg Norman and Adam Scott must be beside themselves.
Apparently Scott and Woods are drawn together next week in Sydney, let alone the Pres Cup.
Sort of defuses Keegan-Gate at a stroke.

Steve Williams is the most arrogant man on the planet right now. Lets hpe this really is the final nail in his career suicide coffin. I cannot see how adam can stand by his man after this comment.

Feel sorry for Adam Scott in all this. Right in the hunt for the HSBC, due to tee it up - with Tiger? - at the Aussie Open, Presidents Cup, etc, etc. And Adam Scott is a terminally nice guy.

Regardless of how despicable Steve Williams's words might have been, it's probably not lost on Scott and Greg Norman that Tiger didn't fire Williams when he ridiculed Phil Mickelson in the press about three years ago . . . . .

Indeed kwini. I really don't see why Adam Scott should be expected to fall on his sword given the success he's been enjoying with Williams on the bag. Why should he feel obliged to act as the game's moral conscience?

One thing is certain ... yon caddies soiree is set to become a much duller affair.

"yon caddies soiree is set to become a much duller affair".
Translation: More press, no Stevie.

Whatever transpires over Rsole-gate, Scott will at least be sharing the responsibility/accountability with Norman. I think that will help going forward, Shark can answer some of the questions instead of just putting Scott under the spotlight's glare.

Kwini

Have to say Ides of March didn't really do it for me. The laziness of the writing was just unreal. A little more oceans than west wing.


Simba

Good to see you on here, have you seen Lion king 3-D yet?

Kiwni

Stevie has to go and calling someone a prick is a far cry from racially abusing someone on a public stage. Why would anyone want a racist like Williams associated with golf?

Mac,
Don't think I want to compare the two stupidities, just think they were both regrettable and inflamatory. But there is history which was my intended context.
I O M was shallow, superficial and forgettable. As I said, What was the point?

Kwini

yes there is a history of racist comments, sadly they don't seem to get dealt with properly.

What's unfortunate is that either way, whether he's sacked or not, it will take away the real competition that I had so looked forward to between Tiger and Scott. Finally, I believe that Adam has acquired the mental and physical toughness to go toe to toe with Tiger and this idiot has to run has mouth and show his true color, a bigot.

If SW had just been any other decent tour caddy, he would have added to the intrigue and intensity of the coming matches. It's a total shame that golf can be blackened by a single remark from an insignificant idiot!

Mac,

Have been working hard to get the business righted. So, haven't had the times to enjoy Lion King 3D in the theatre. Heard it was great. for sure will get on blue ray.

Great to be back and see everyone here doing well!

Agreed Simba . . . . .
Though think there's more to the Pres than Woods vs Scott, much more.

Kwini,

I look forward to ur writing for the Prez Cup week. There will be some unbelievable golf played in the next two weeks. TW probably would not figure in that much.

I really think the US are shorthanded, not bc TW. But the lack of form by Furyc and Striker will be the main downfall for the US squad.

Simba,
You're right; unlike the Ryder Cup the Pres Cup has no hiding place for golfers not pulling their weight except on the Saturday.
Usually a very different atmosphere at the PC compared to the RC, but I reckon there'll be a fair amount of needle in Melbourne, perhaps stirred even more by the bagman's incendiary outburst.
I'm hoping they'll schedule the matches relatively early so that even the Eastern time zone can watch at a not-too-ungodly hour.

Simba,

Re Donald, I posted months ago (around Masters-time) that he'd be the best player in the world if he cut out the one bad hole a round; he was playing courses perfectly save for dropping in one 6 or 7 per day. Think he's overcome that mental block, which is why he now is the best player in the world, but I agree that for all his success he hasn't won enough, yet. Can't put my finger on why, but don't think it's a length thing myself

Will keep an eye on the Williams fuss, harsh on Scott but I don't see that he should fire the guy because of a public moral uproar. Racists are still allowed jobs after all. Although if Adam fired him because he didn't want to play all his golf rounds chatting to a racist, that'd be far more understandable.

Key to Donald winning will be his ability to drive it straight during the final round. Impeccable for the back-nine at Disney and that's what set up so many birdie chances.
As for length, remember, in 2011 had the 7th lowest scoring average (out of 186 golfers) on par 5's. Only .07 of a stroke behind the leader (Webb Simpson, Bubba and Stricker the top three).

Amidst all the hoo-ha about Mr.Williams, let's have a glance across the Pacific to see if Fred Couples is affected by events in China.
Ah, not yet. Mr.Fred is tied for the early Round 3 lead at the "Schwab" with wine connoisseur Michael Allen. The field continues to be tightly bunched, only ten shots covering 28 of the 30-runner field.
But the name of the $1M winner of the season-long Schwab Cup points race is increasingly in doubt as Tom Lehman is languishing in the middle of the pack. If he continues to struggle outside the top ten, others could overtake him, most likely Calcavecchia. Hope for some fireworks by the Bay.

Very belated joint statement issued from the PGA Tour and European Tour, as reported by the AP:
"We consider the remarks of Steve Williams, as reported, entirely unacceptable in whatever context. We are aware that he has apolgised fully and we trust we will not hear such remarks ever again. Based on this, we consider the matter closed, and we will have no further comment."

Better late than never I suppose, but not sure what jurisdiction caddies in a WGC event fall under when participating in a 3rd party country/region.

Clearly didn't help Adam Scott at all as he let a winning position drift with an over par Round 4.

Despite any protestations, the PGA Tour remains, more than at any time in the past forty years, a bastion of white males, less accessible to African American golfers than in the pre-Tiger days. Even fewer African American caddies than ever.

Not sure that this is racial prejudice but is certainly exclusive of worldwide sensibilities.

Kwini,

This bigger gulf of black and white in golf has more to do with economy than anything else. Tiger himself is not doing the game and the black community any favors when he jets off to play $100,000 rounds with VIPs at exclusive clubs in Perth, Melbourne.

The game has become more exclusive than inclusive than ever at the top not because of color of the skin but more of the color of green or whichever color of your money.

When a purported 'PUBLIC' course can charge people 500 bucks just for greens fee, that tells you all you need to know about Golf. It's all about $$$!

Strange though Simba, plenty of Boos and Bubbas still make it, very few Hispanic or Af/Am.
All the $M spent on First Tee projects etc is great for making the Bushes and Finchems of this world feel good, but does it actually bring minorities into the sport professionaly, whether as players, club pros, resort managers? Not in my experience.
When there are more Af/Am tennis pros enjoying success than golf pros, it's time to recognise that golf is not doing all it might.

You have a point! Kwini. Don't know how we could change it though. You have any ideas?

Very difficult, Simba, in these politically correct days when "affirmative action" is frowned upon. The loss of caddie programmes is one of the biggest problems, clearly, and most private clubs now are more likely to hire sons-of-youppies as loopers than offer jobs to professional caddies.

But I also think the jingoistic culture within PGA Tour HQ, and by extension the players, does nothing to help, no initiative to better create a multi-cultural world for the pros to ply their trade in. The spurning of the concept of world Golf Championships a big manifestation of that; if this autumn's manifestation of the Asia-fuelled silly season is anything to go by, the PGA Tour could very well find itself playing catch-up in the wider world of Golf.

Totally agree with you for the first time I remember, Kwini.

What's ironic about the PGA Tour is that it puts all of its eggs in 1 basket, ie Tiger! And now that basket is Damaged, they don't even bother to protect it from jokers like Stevie Williams.

Golf is the greatest game that is run by some of the biggest fools!

So now the WGC's wrapped up, can we finally expect an announcement on POTY? Can't remember now what the exact revised date was, but must be sometime soon. And assuming they'll announce ROTY (i.e. Bradley), and Comeback POTY (Toms?) at the same time.

Ned,

I read somewhere that there will be no comeback player of the year for this season.

Hi Ned,
Not so fast!
The POTY ballots have to be returned to Tour HQ by Dec 9th, with the result presumably to be declared shortly thereafter.

Agree that Bradley will be ROTY, though technically one could argue that Charl's full body of work was actually superior. But he's not American.

Comeback Player? Tom's seems a good shout, Reavie the only outside hope?

Wonder if Tiger Woods will be a contender for CPOTY 2012? If not, I'd say he'll be one very disappointed young man! I'd hope that Sergio will snag it.


PS: Simba, Wasn't that last year they didn't make that award? Toms must surely be a very strong candidate to ensure the award is restored.

On the Champions Tour, the year-long $1M Championship has turned, for the time being at least, in to a bit of a stroll for Lehman. Calc was the best placed to overtake him but he needs to make up some ground on his Round 4 back nine.

Freddie (Headie in the clouds) Couples is making the biggest move for today's $475K first prize, but probably too little too late as Jay Don Blake (does he have the most American name out there) has staked himself to a 3-shot lead.

We spoke a few weeks ago about Chip Beck making a nice comeback but god is he slow. His twosome at least half an hour behind the pair in front. Some things never change: (Chip Beck's pace of play and the fact that he, and Crane and others, do it with impunity.)

K,

I was reading on twitter somewhere that the CPOTY is out this year too.

Just out of interest what are the criteria for comeback player of the year?

Grumps, Not really sure but Stricker won it two years' running so I guess you have to visit oblivion and get back from there! Toms certainly qualifies, as does Reavie.

That's what made me wonder Kwini. Surely, if he won it the first time he must have had a great year in comparison to the prior year. Did he lose his game again and find it towards the end of the second year or was the second year that much better than the first comeback?

Grumps,
He just came back from the dead (in career terms), no status other than as a Tour winner, and rescued his status 2006, became a top notch world-standard golfer 2007, with a Bsarclays win. As I remember, there were few complaints!

Good story though - as I said he had lost his card after failing to advance out of Dec 2005 Q-School, but received an invite to the Houston Open, found form with a top ten, and the rest is history.

I like the Toms story as well; I followed him at Turning Stone opposite last year's Bridgestone; what a miserable sod! Just didn't seem to want to be there.
But he improved as this season went on and his Players / Colonial streak was inspiring!! Hope they revive the Comeback award and give it to him. ('Course, They could give it to DC as a veteran member but don't think that's about to happen!)

Thanks Kwini. Can see how folks would see a continual improvement as opposed to wilderness and winner on two occasions.

If the ET has a CBPOTY, then it should be Sergio!

Whats the betting if Woods has at least an average year, the comeback player of the year award gets brought back in..

Would agree with Sergio winning an ET version wholeheartedly

Mac,

I'm hoping for a double POTY and CBPOTY for Tiger.

pgatour.com reports that Paul Casey and his wife divorced last week, accounting presumably, and sadly, for the euphemistic "personal problems" alluded to by the media.

Best wishes to both of them.

Kwini,

Thanks for the grapevine news. It's amazing how another former top 10 player getting no coverage of his 'personal troubles', whereas, some people still are fixated on Tiger's.

Simba wrote:Kwini,

Thanks for the grapevine news. It's amazing how another former top 10 player getting no coverage of his 'personal troubles', whereas, some people still are fixated on Tiger's.

Well a quiet divorce is hardly as news worthy as dipping your wick in anything that walks past you...

Simba,
I think the difference is that Casey has fallen out with one loved one, and hopefully moved on.
Whereas Tiger has also fallen out, spectacularly, with someone who apparently loved him, but fallen in, allegedly, with 100 bimbos.

As for Tiger, as I said when he hit his fire hydrant, I don't try and big him up and I don't care to tear him to pieces on his indiscretions (wot Maverick said!). But there's still room, thankfully, for some devil's advocacy! And he invites that - can't wait for his press conference this evening!