PGA Tour: Transitioning: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).What a win for Justin Rose last week and, from my point of view at any rate, who'd've thunk it so quickly after rather messing up an equally good opportunity at the "Honda". This win compelled me to review my pre-season projection about Rose and I see that he's already exceeded (my) expectations!
He's been big on stressing the upward mobility in the calibre of tournaments won, first "Memorial" and the "AT&T National", then a FedEx Play-Off event and now a WGC Championship. But the fact remains that it's been almost four years since his last Major top ten and one can only hope that Rose takes whatever it is he's found down Magnolia Lane with him.

2).Not much respect in the American media for Justin's win, all the headlines (and those of the BBC website) reserved for another of Sean Foley's pupils who completed his third Tour withdrawal in less than two years. Rose could be forgiven for echoing Caddyshack's Rodney Dangerfield, "I don't get no respect!", yahoo sports even calling Justin "Dustin" in their headline.

3).But the promise of another Tiger spectacular was enough to boost TV ratings 30% over last year, proving the extent to which the Tiger factor attracts viewers even when he slips from contention.

4).One more year of the "tired" old Blue Monster and The Donald will Trump it with Gil Hanse's rebuild of the course. He pledges to leave #18 well alone however and don't you love a finishing hole that is really, truly demanding? "To get a putt at par is sometimes all you're trying to do" on this hole says Stricker, and average score on this 467 yard par-4 was 4.539. (In contrast to the first hole, a par-5, which played to 4.16.)

5).Keegan Bradley seems to have been the flavour of the opening two months or so of the season, but his rather feeble challenge on Sunday seemed to suggest a man in need of a break. He butchered par-5's #8 and #10 from just off, and on, the green in two shots respectively, but he sits on top of the US Ryder Cup qualifying points list.
Mickelson is second and the two of them are some way ahead of positions 3 thru 8, which include would-be-rookies Haas, Stanley, Wilson and Snedeker as well as Stricker and Mahan.
Other among Celtic Manor's vanquished include Watson (10th), D.Johnson (11th), Woods (14th), Kuchar (19th), Fowler (22nd), Z.Johnson (31st), Furyk (48th), Overton (66th) and Cink (who has sunk to 71st).
Other struggling notables inlude Simpson (17th), Toms (24th) and Watney (33rd).

6).Before we leave South Florida, there have been a number of articles in the golfing press recently regarding the number of touring pros now resident there, 61 by one count, including Luke and Ernie, Rory and Jack, Greg and Karrie. That's possibly, depending on who's counting, one up on "Orlando", with an assist of course from Elin's ex.
SI amuse with a story of the Swedish contingent at the "Dye Preserve" where Richard Johnson, Jacobson and Parnevik play regular games, not for the traditional money game Nassaus but for press-ups, "the loser of each hole (having) to do a certain number, right there on the green". And compatriot Elin is apparently a sometime companion at these wags' barbecues! (Don't expect any of the three to be paired with the "ex" any time soon.)


7).And so to the pros' favourite Florida course, Innisbrook Resort's "Copperhead" course, home of the "Transitions Championship", in the Tampa area. The 1971 Larry Packard design is rated 9th in GolfWorld's survey, ahead of TPC Sawgrass (11th), for instance, and well ahead of Doral and Bay Hill, both in the thirties. The set-up for the "Transitions" will feature 5 par-3's and 4 par-5's, and Carnoustie native Ryan Stewart, the Superintendent, is expecting firm conditions helped by a forecast of unseasonably warm, dry weather.

8).Only two more weeks to qualify for a Masters invitation, and those not already in who are on the bubble of making it via the owgr top fifty include:
#45: Paul Lawrie (withdrawn - perhaps tactically? - from the Open de Andalucia)
48: Crane (not playing this week)
52: Goosen - playing Transitions
56: Rock - playing Andalucia
59: Chalmers - playing Transitions
60: Cabrero-Bello - playing Andalucia
62: HowellIII (w/d this week)
63: Manassero - playing Andalucia
64: Allenby - playing Transitions
67: Colsaerts (not playing this week)
68: Els - playing Transitions

9).Strong GB&I representation this week including Messrs Casey, (edit to include Gary Christian who was added to the field Tuesday p.m.), Davis, Donald, Harrington, Laird, Owen and Rose. And Tom Lewis making, as far as I can tell, his first ever appearance on the PGA Tour, in the company of fellow young 'uns Ishikawa and Bud Cauley. Other Europeans include Garcia and Peter Hanson.

10).The "Transitions" tends to favour course specialists and Choi and Goosen have two wins apiece, while Senden and Pettersson have a good record here. After a string of American wins to open the season, GB&I have two wins on the trot now, and I'd expect another "International" win this week. Donald plays his first two rounds with Justin Rose, and maybe he'll find inspiration/incentive to break their tie with Tony Jacklin for most post-war Tour wins by an Englishman not named Faldo.

Hi gw,
Welcome back!
Tried to email you and it bounced back . . . . I'll try again.

Yup, feel much the same about Wolves - turning point for me was Karl Henry's red card vs Villa, never recovered from that. Idiotic from Zubar today.

Meanwhile, COME ON LUKE!!

Luuuuuuuuuuuke . . . . . .
The new Number One??????

The new old #1, may well be...Bae joining them at 13-under, this is just about as open as Andalucia was earlier today...

It's amusing that JD finished in red and better than Mark Wilson.

Nice seeing old workhorses Els and Furyk in contention for a PGA title. Goose is having another final day meltdown.

Who wants to win this?

-15 looked like being the number an hour ago, now -14 might do it. Still think of the Moon as the big threat to Luke 'n Ernie.

Leff,
Goosen having bad day with his back, booked in for treatment this week and has already w/d'd from next week's tournament.l

Not sure what happened with that email account by I can't access it anymore. I will have to create a new one I think.

Good to see Luke playing well again, hope he can sink a few putts coming in. Did you see much of Rose win a few weeks ago Kwini? Well played indeed, hope he can take that form into Augusta where he usually dissapoints.

P.S Have a laugh, pics 61 and 62
http://www.thesportsjournalist.com/photos/gallery.asp?galid=366&clubID=118

Great to see Ernie playing like this, but even happier to see Furyk getting some form back after a bad year last year.

Big miss right there by Erns. Birdie on the 18th for Luke to win it?

Kwini, Thanks for the fitness update on Goose.

It's hard to pay attention to golf with all that happening in the NCAA tournament.

13 under massive playoff in the gunsights.

Furyk hanging on for dear life, but he just may have the winning putt in regulation. Love to see him or Ernie. C'mon boys!

wow - massive playoff coming

Poor shots into 18 by Luke 'n Ernie.

If it goes to a play-off anything can happen. The worst would be Garrigus winning!

Goosen on a birdie run!!

els misses

Ernie is finished, and I dont just mean in this event.

i think he has been finished for ages, however the last few months have been his best form for a long time. he can still play half competitvely for a few more years- never to his best mind!

Did anyone just see ernies interview?

I think it took all his powers of diplomacy not to call the guy something unmentionable.

Ernie won Bay Hill two years ago.
Would love to see him repeat that trick. But he threw away any chance of qualifying for Augusta unless he finshes top three next week.

Luke for the play-off. I hope.

And Dan Hicks said Ernie was clearly still shaken up !!!

The questions werent the best

wow moon and furyk may even struggle to get in the play off!!

poor putt from Bae, very poor. Leaves himself with a real tester there.

makes it though, joins the (likely play-off) group at -13 in the clubhouse.

emotion from a korean. what next?

great shot by furyk- showing what a competitor he is !!

hope he misses mind!!

luuuuuke

ok so its a 4 way play off! sweet

so a four-man play-off it shall be...

Doug Ferguson on twitter

Overton "if i was playing in Europe, it would probably be good enough to win"

heat of the moment stuff i'm sure but not the best

well the statement is true enough- not the best thing to say mind'!

mystiroakey wrote:emotion from a korean. what next?

Hopefully an Englishman winning a major.......

owwwww lukey stuck it in the rough... darn it

hope he is trying to hit a hard 8 iron and not an easy 7

Beauty from Lukey . . . .

oh well lol what do i know!! lukey to 6 foot with a 7 iron out of thick rough

what a shot that is from Luuuuuuuuuuuuke!

A beauty from Donald.... right at the right time.

very good from Garrigus too! Donald probably just inside him, but under pressure that was a great shot!

Furyk with a nearly impossibe putt...

Alsie wrote:Doug Ferguson on twitter

Overton "if i was playing in Europe, it would probably be good enough to win"

heat of the moment stuff i'm sure but not the best

Wow... Really? Honestly dont think hes that good and think thats not true.

loving the shot tracker, even if it isnt allways perfect- donald 4 inches inside garrigus

nope, gives it a decent go but it breaks past the hole.

Hey Kwini, Diggers. Great finish to this, fair play to Donald for performing like this when it counts.

Re Overton and his ET comments, he's probably got a point, after all Europeans have been dominating the PGA Tour for the past couple of years at least.. He's lucky he has the opportunity to chase them every week.

Bae just sneaks it past too, down to Garrigus and Donald now.

luke has a 6 footer to go to no.1

so Luke with a chance for the win after Garrigus misses...

what a win!!

go luke!

deserved no.1 again!

Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuke!

deserved it for that second shot really, back to world n°1 again

Sand wrote:

Alsie wrote:Doug Ferguson on twitter

Overton "if i was playing in Europe, it would probably be good enough to win"

heat of the moment stuff i'm sure but not the best

Wow... Really? Honestly dont think hes that good and think thats not true.

yeah different sort of golf over here, its a pretty arrogant comment from a zero win player regardless of the situation

so whose best in the world now - Luke or Rory?

Brill stuff, talk about Cool hand Luuuuke... Total gentleman.

Well done Luuuke... Thought that putt was wriggling out on the left!

So Luke goes to world #1 again by winning a play-off!!!

Good for him, am sure he'd like to stay the top-ranked player by the time he's belatedly bestowed with his OBE...

B_t_b,
Let's face it, if this was a proper European Tour event, he'd've been beaten by Donald and tied with Els.
I like Overton but that's just a pig ignorant comment.