PGA Tour: The Cadillac Ranch and Puerto Rico: Notes from the Ballwasher

1).Last week's Ballwasher Notes: "Rory? Tiger? Top Twenty? Maybe."

Yes, well, Rory would be knackered from the MatchPlay, just playing "Honda" as a fill-in to fit in his 15 events.
And Tiger only entered because PGA National was only a two bob return bus ride from his mansion in Jupiter.
Europeans resident in Europe have a tough time on Bermuda.
Woods is less favoured by par-70 courses than par-72's.

They showed in no uncertain fashion why they're there, and I'm here.
Can't imagine I've ever been happier to have been proved wrong.

2).Fabulous week by Rory - he and Tiger attracted bumper crowds and a TV audience 78% up on last year. What looked as if it could have become a walk in the park for Rory became more complicated Roar by Roar. He had told the media why he was a more consistent player, why he was better able to withstand pressure: he'd learned how to eliminate the horror shot and was more consistent on the greens. That was exactly the recipe on Sunday and he certainly put it to the test. And passed with flying colours.

3).And what about Tiger? With his career best final round of 62?? I'd often cited Tiger's 200+ yards iron from a bunker over water to a shallow Glen Abbey green in 2000 as the best shot I'd ever seen him hit under pressure. Interesting that he compared his 72nd hole iron at PGA National to that. Bitter pill perhaps that it didn't reward him with the "w" that he snatched from Grant Waite in Canada. Difficult to believe he won't be back for more though at Doral this week, a course one would imagine would suit him better than PGA National.

4).Lots of other items worth noting:
~Lee Westwood's final round 63. (Totally eclipsed twenty minutes later.)
~The performances of the stars in the field, the owgr cream of McIlroy, Westwood, Schwartzel, McDowell, Bradley, Woods and Rose rising to the top.
~Anthony Kim leading the field in birdies yet finishing 42nd.
~A number of fading stars making the weekend: Overton (18th), Appleby (21st), Els (21st), Stenson (21st), Love (21st), etc, etc. Would be good to see each of them return to their best.
~Coming out party for Harris English. Disappointing Sunday for him, but he'll be back.

5).Tiger had a poor week with the press, unwittingly giving Hank Haney publicity by behaving churlishly towards Miceli when asked innocuous questions at his press conference, and then being somewhat less than effusive about Rory's success, both in anticipation and in the aftermath.
In reflecting on this in the light of the expectations being heaped on McIlroy, that frosty barrier between Woods and his public could quite easily be the firewall that protects him and sustains his playing excellence. How will Rory deal with such the expectations, the voyeurism into his private life?
Maybe Tiger had the answer all along.
But it was refreshing to see him signing autographs while he waited for his bus on Sunday evening.

6).And so down the Florida Turnpike, to Miami and Dick Wilson's Doral Blue Monster design, though Mr.Wilson would likely not recognize his work now. It's gone through tweaks and redesigns every few years since the 80's, and now it's under new ownership as Donald Trump has snapped up the resort for a cool $150M. To quote GolfWorld: A "total, complete renovation" will commence in a year's time, following the 2013 "Cadillac", when highly regarded architect Gil Hanse is due to get his hands on it. The course will be lengthened to 7,600 yds, "remaking all the greens and building six or seven new holes," though the famous 18th is expected to be left unchanged.

7).If that doesn't Trump this week's entertainment, the "opposite field" Puerto Rico Open will be played at Trump International Golf Club. Poor field but $630K to the winner and we'll keep track of the European interest.

8).Sorry to see the news from Augusta National this afternoon that Ishikawa, not playing well enough to qualify so far, will receive his second invitation to April's Masters. "Ishikawa will help increase interest in Japan and throughout Asia," said Billy Payne.
Yes, quite, and such corporate expediency offers fodder for those critics who complain annually that The Masters does not deserve to be labelled a Major.
Don't necessarily agree with that, but there are many golfers from other countries who are far more deserving than Ryo, let alone those who have given far more to the game.

9).Good to see Paul Casey back for this week's WGC "Cadillac Championship" and, at the time of writing, all 74 qualifiers are expected to play, sniffles, pneumonia and new baby permitting. No comment on the chances of McIlroy or Woods.

10).Personal note to end with as the designer of my favourite golf course died last month. Geoffrey Cornish was born in Winnipeg 97 years ago and learnt architecture from Canada's great Stanley Thompson. Cornish not only designed dozens of courses, primarily in Eastern Canada and the North-Eastern States of the US, but co-wrote with Ron Whitten "The Golf Course", one of the seminal works on gca.
As Whitten's remembrance puts it, Cornish "was a great golf course architect because he was more interested in spreading the game than in making a name for himself". Not good for the Doak Scale perhaps, but millions of golfers within 500 miles of this keyboard have reason to be grateful to Geoffrey Cornish.

Great read Kwini as ever.

Didn't realise Cornish had died, knew the name more for his productivity than for an outstanding reputation, but he seemed to specialise in the understated, which I approve of. 97 is a pretty good effort.

Did I read right that Doral is the easiest course across the Florida swing? Fair enough that the Honda and Bay Hill usually play tough, but that's surely not right for a WGC elite event? And also read that over the last 6 years, only the rotational Bob Hope birdiefest tracks have recorded easier greens. Never been a big fan of this event at this venue, and that adds weight to the idea of moving it somewhere - anywhere - else. Still, it's probably better than Firestone.

Cheers Ned,
I imagine it is the easiest. Here, I'll pass on Lee Westwood's feelings about it:

http://www.worldgolfchampionships.com/2012/tournaments/r473/03/06/westwood-transcript/index.html

Plus: Hadn't realised that Lee's now leading with 40 WGC's played. Time he won one then, doubtless would have done if they'd been played on a worldwide rotation.
As I said before, it seems as if the American press is finally warming to Westwood. As a person if not as a golfer.

I see John Huggan is tweeting about Ishikawa getting a Masters invite based on his commercial appeal in Japan even though he won't have qualified for an invite under the so called Masters invitee criteria at the cut off.

If they are going to extend an invite on that basis imo makes a mockery of the event as a major. As surely that's what events like Bayhill and other invitational are about. Personally feel to be in a major you should have qualified on right as everyone else has to. If they extend this to Ryo the only way I can see it as viable and not an affront to others is to also invite all the players ranked higher than he is not automatically qualified or there could be some ill feeling on tour, I know I wouldn't be happy...

agree with you Fader but theyve been doing it for years... theres always one or two Asian golfers that get an invite.

Ryo is 53 at the moment, if he does well in the coming weeks and is inside the top 50 what will you guys think about his invite?

Ryo might not be a good choice but nor would Els. Would show they are doffing their cap in sentimentality to a once great player now in decline. Too much of that at the Masters already IMO, I'd rather have a young gun personally.

I actually see els packing it in by the end of the 2013 season unless he finds out how to putt again. He is on a slippery slope to outside the top 100. It is already been noted ont he boards that he might have more family commitments than others.

Mac,
If Ryo plays well these next few weeks he won't need an invite. Meanwhile he's playing this week in Puerto Rico.

If Ryo felt that strongly about playing in events over here, you'd think he might have gone to Q-School.

Meanwhile, I don't see any sign oif Matteo getting a "young gun" invitation, but then Italy is not Japan.

Mac: if he qualifies on merit of being top 50 then fine he has earned the right to be there. But to take an invite based on where he is from because of his commercial pull in that part of the world is wrong. If its about young guns then Matteo or Tom Lewis are equally worthy of an invite but they don't have one as they are not a Japan poster boy.

John Huh has more right to an invite at the moment than Ryo as he won this year but he doesn't get one!

As for Els simply his ranking like Ryo's is outside the criteria so he rightly should not be there. There are already to many in the field at Augusta that simply make up the numbers based on sentiment which imo actually makes the Masters the weakest of the events to win. At least the other 3 majors every player has worked for and earned the place they have in the field.

There are already to many in the field at Augusta that simply make up the numbers based on sentiment which imo actually makes the Masters the weakest of the events to win. At least the other 3 majors every player has worked for and earned the place they have in the field.

Apart from all past winners being eligible (and many don't actually play, even though they could), which other qualification categories are based on sentiment that aren't also qualification categories in the other majors? The PGA Championship also invites all previous winners, and the Open all up to age 60. Only the US Open is a bit more ruthless in only inviting the winners from the past ten years, but I can't see how the Masters is significantly more sentimental than the other tournaments.

Interesting snippet from the AP:
Greg Norman received the last Masters invitation to a non-Asian golfer, in 2002.


Showery weather forecast for Doral today and Thursday, should be mostly dry and sunny the rest of the week, breezy with just the chance of an isolated shower.

Last year, Billy Payne in his pre-tourney press conference:

"....The Masters also plans to consider limiting the size of the Tournament field. This year, 99 players earned an invitation, the most since 103 in 1966. "There is a maximum number of competitors for which we can give the experience that we want them to have and do it in a way that's manageable," Payne said. "The hundred pushes that limit quite significantly."..."

www.masters.com/en_US/news/articles/2011-04-06/201104061302118308490.html

I saw another comment that the invite for Ryo was deserved because of Ryo's donating all his 2011 winnings to the Tsunami Relief fund.

Philanthropy is not a qualification for an invite.

I would rather see Matteo, Young Tom, or John Huh get the invite but they have limited "political" impact.

======

I mentioned this last week but I find it really interesting that Winning Majors is not a direct qualification for a WGC-Cadillac Invite. The only reason why Darren Clarke is here this week is his placement in the 2011 RtD Standings. He is not even qualified via the top 50.

Fortunately for Darren Clarke, the RtD standings are impacted by most by performances in Majors and WGC results that he was in the top 20. Its possible that a player could win a recent major and not qualify for the Cadillac which I think would damage the WGC's credibility.

GPB,
Yes, and reading between the lines one senses that Ernie Els regrets that his Past Cadillac Champion status, which would get him in to any non-WGC event (including Majors) for at least three years, doesn't warrant him a place this week.

PGA Tour exemptions are not always all they might seem!

Great stuff kwini

I agree with the comments and question marks regarding Ryo's invite to Masters. Not sure what Ryo brings extra compared to Matteo for example, but at least based on the evidence I've seen in 2010 when I followed Matteo for a couple of hours at Augusta, I can guarrantee that it would've brought a sharp increase in ticket demand from teenage female spectators in the 15-19 year old bracket! Not that I was paying any attention to that...

Never got too excited about watching Doral, but this year I feel a bit more interested... Somewhat sad though to see this tournament without Els and Harri, both having more than decent records around this course in the past...

I think what Ryo brings to Augusta is contentment from a couple high place ANGC members.

I think the CEO of Sony and Toyota are both members of ANGC. If so, I think they might have had some influence as there was no Professional Japanese players in the field this year until this invite.

Prince

You have been to augusta?

Westwood's attitude is terrible...

Gil Hanse for the Olympic design gig?

So that's the Doral remodelling job AND The Olympics. Nice work if you can get it, but some disappointment for big names like Nicklaus and Norman.

I wonder if Annika Sorenstam will reconsider the Solheim Cup captaincy seeing she has one less project on her plate (not really knowing how involved she would have been in the design partnership with Nicklaus).

Kiwni

Why the hell is Amy Allcott listed as a partner of Hanse's. What exactly will she offer other than saying the had a woman on board.


Anyone hear tigers witty response in his press conference asked if he's ever felt comfortable standing on 12 tee at Augusta, he said, "Sure...*pause*...on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday."

Not bad I am sure even the tiger haters will admit?

Good for Hanse!

I've met Gil numerous times, really passionate and a really nice guy. I play one of his designs frequently: Applebrook, on the edge of Malvern, PA. Really neat course.

Mac,
A lot of the designers partnered with an LPGA alum, Ochoa (with Norman)and Sorenstam (with Nicklaus) for starters - Alcott has dabbled in course design and is highly respected within the US game, not just among the ladies but the guys as well. Phil Mickelson, for instance, credits Alcott's input with his being able to better navigate Riviera after years of LA Open futility.

The Ladies Olympic tournament will arguably be a bigger deal for them and their Tours than the men's event will be for the PGA Tourists, etc., so important to get the course right!

I have been an Amy Alcott fan since I met her in a tournament at Lake Lanier GA back in the 1980's.

She is not much older than Lopez, Daniel, Sheehan, King and I really have no idea why she has been completely shut out the Solheim Loop. She has never even been considered for a co-Captain, let alone a Captaincy.

I thought peyton manning was meant to be pretty good?

GPB wrote:I have been an Amy Alcott fan since I met her in a tournament at Lake Lanier GA back in the 1980's.

She is not much older than Lopez, Daniel, Sheehan, King and I really have no idea why she has been completely shut out the Solheim Loop. She has never even been considered for a co-Captain, let alone a Captaincy.

Alright Amy Alcott!! Longtime Santa Monica resident, much admired locally and very sweet person. Cannot say enough nice things about her.

Mac,
Peyton Manning was pretty good.
Before he endured any number of neck procedures and is due a $25M+ "roster bonus" this week.
Damaged goods is a precarious commodity when they don't know if he'll ever be able to throw a ball properly again, let alone in NFL anger, yet still counts against their salary cap.

Not sure how anyone can suggest Matteo, 67 in owgr, or Lewis 170 something, deserves a place ahead of Ryo. On what basis?

If you are going to have invites then inviting a lad who has only just missed an automatic place, who would represent an otherwise unrepresented demographic and who has made a fairly noble gesture in giving his prize money away last year seems a reasonable place to start to me.

Trouble is you shouldn't really be having invites for majors should you? Everyone should qualify.

What pressue, if any, can finchem put on those who run majors over issues such as the qualification system. Secondly would he really feel the need, or see an issue, with the way the masters committee constructs its field?


Thanks for the peyton update kwini.

Reckon he would only care if the event started to lose prestige and can't see that happening any time soon Mac. Not sure he could really do much other than try and embarrass them, anything else would be likely to damage the PGA at least as much.

Should have prefaced my remarks by thanking Kwini for another excellent column. Somewhat take them for granted now, I look forward to them each week and they compare favourably with the writing in the golf mags I pay for. So thanks fella, good work.

Philanthropy and altruism should not be a consideration for an invite to the Masters.

FWIW, I like Ryo and I think if he ever becomes a World Class player it would great for the game of golf. Golf can benefit greatly if Japan had a World Class player, any player, not just Ryo. I wouldn't mind seeing him win Puerto Rico to actually earn the invite

IMO, The OWGR overvalues the Japan PGA tour greatly, and always has. **Ahem** Jumbo Ozaki **cough**. Ryo has had one good tournament against a world Class field or PGAT field. His resume is heavily populated with Missed Cuts and ~T40 finishes. Not World Class.

As far as "Young Tom", his ranking is way undervalued as his 2 yr OWGR is not fully populated. IMO, he is trending to about a 2.00 average which would him put about 73rd.

Trending OWGR average 2.00 = (46.37 gross OWGR points * o.5625 (avg 104 week attrition) / 13 events)

wow so i hear that donald,westy and rory will be playing together- i hope that doesnt cost them all a few shots

McLaren wrote:I actually see els packing it in by the end of the 2013 season unless he finds out how to putt again. He is on a slippery slope to outside the top 100. It is already been noted ont he boards that he might have more family commitments than others.

I doubt he will be packing it in- or have thoughts of that- he has shown abit of form last two tourneys which he hasnt shownb for a long time

Fair enough GBP, so you would have 3 players similarly ranked (or maybe the Japan tour is grossly overrated I don't know) how do you distinguish then. Don't see why character and behaviour off the course shouldn't be a factor, it is an invite after all not a qualification.

But as I say I wouldn't have any invites, not for a major.

Actually I don't think Ryo or Matteo or Young Tom deserve an invite. No one does. But it is their tournament, and they are free to do anything they want to advance their agenda.

What about Retief Goosen? he is actually ranked ahead of Ishikawa and he has won many World Class Tournaments including 2 US Opens.

Spoiler:

I don't mind special invites. sometimes there is a gray area. Hale Irwin won the 1990 US Open on a special USGA exemption.

i dont like invites at all in majors or wc's- they should just stick in the highest ranked players, or next in line with qualifying to filll up the spaces in the fields

Is it really the special invites we don't like, or the contrived way they're dished out, driven by commercial considerations? The latter is what I take exception to, honouring a golfer who has given much to the game, a la Irwin, or Norman, or Vijay, in past years is fine by me, in exceptional circumstances for exceptional golfers.

Repeatedly adding a player just to satisfy sponsors abuses the very essence of what a Major should be all about. Having said that, wouldn't it be great to see Matteo and Ryo (and Els) qualify as of right? There's still time.

PS: Caito, appreciate the (too) kind words.

Personally i am not bothered about any invites for any reason. I would rather watch the best at the time play the big events, not past legends or others for commercial considerations.

However i understand the need to help market the sport , either way i will watch the tournys so its not a massive deal is it, just abit annoying and unfair on a few that are playing better and deserve the chance

Regarding Gil Hanse's appointment to design the course for The Olympics,
Phil Mickelson came up with a nice endorsement:

"I give the Olympic Committee a lot of credit. It would have been easier to go with a big name; instead they went with the best. I thought that was pretty cool."

Oh well, phil off Jacks christmas card list now. Wonder what harm can come by a player who disses the golden bear?

Any tournament with a field of approx 95 players that "invites" - Ishikawa(again) just because he's from a certain part of the world that will increase TV Revenue for the Tournament - about 7 amateurs - a host of ex champs who no longer play any competitive golf (not even on the senior or champions tours) - that invites all PGA regular season full field event winners (excl a couple of "fall season" events) but offers NOTHING for any European Tour event winners - has serious credibility problems.

I have no issue with fellas like Larry Mize or Ian Woosnam being invited back as past champs but there should be a stipulation that they have a World Golf Ranking in the top 500 for example. To see Woosnam coming back each year when the World No.51 is possibly sitting at home is just plain wrong....................

I seriously doubt that Mickelson has ever won on a Nicklaus course! (Except possibly the one they sometimes use in the Bob Hope rotation.)

I see in Lee Westwood's interview, he is credited with playing his 40th WGC event, apparently now the leader. Not sure I'd've guessed that; imagine he might have just overtaken Harrington.


PS: John, Are you getting into the Fantasy Game? No Harrington, but still!

Round 1 of the Puerto Rico Open is well underway, David Duval among the early leaders.

Among those competing are Ryder/Pres Cuppers and Major winners:
Ishikawa, Cabrera, Stenson, Lonard,
Kelly, Curtis, Taylor, Wetterich, Henry, Duval, Weekley, Janzen, Overton, Holmes, DiMarco, Beem, Riley, Triplett, Hamilton, Austin

Plus other Europeans Blixt, Chopra, Christian, Davis, Johnson, Knox,

John - You bring up some terrific points. At then end of the day, this "major championship" field gets watered down plenty, and too much IMO. The LAST thing the green jacket crowd will do, however, is take direction from anyone. There's a very interesting study in Malcolm Gladwell's book "Blink" that puts some numbers behind the "Southern Gentleman" point of view. Never forget that a Yankee (aka foreigner) is someone who goes to the South for a visit. A Damn Yankee is someone who stays!

Last year when the "boys" gave Tiger his moral direction speech, I couldn't think of a less morally inspiring group than the exclusionary crowd in Augusta, Georgia.

kwinigolfer wrote:I seriously doubt that Mickelson has ever won on a Nicklaus course! (Except possibly the one they sometimes use in the Bob Hope rotation.)

I see in Lee Westwood's interview, he is credited with playing his 40th WGC event, apparently now the leader. Not sure I'd've guessed that; imagine he might have just overtaken Harrington.


PS: John, Are you getting into the Fantasy Game? No Harrington, but still!

Im in...................and accounted for!!

Oops, Sorry John.

Sr,
Nice one vis-a-vis "Yankees" in the South. Must admit, I enjoyed my visits to Columbia when Mike was at USC tremendously, not completely sure I'd care to live there 12 months a year . . . .
Off to the "Valley' for the weekend, hope to give your best to Ventura's!

Shotrock
I found Billy Payne's sermon stomach churning........................be very wary of people who perch themselves on the high moral ground!

John - Agree 100%!

Kwin - I'm jealous! The last time I ate there was when my father was very ill. Just left the hospital and decided I wanted some Italian comfort food. Sat at the bar and the owner (Nini sp?) could sense my depressed state. We struck up a conversation, I told him all the great times I had at his restaurant (including my father's retirement dinner from Tri-State Laundries). He bought me a round, the Chicken Cacciatore was out of this world. Have fun!

billy payne is tolerable compared to hooty johnson!