PGA Tour: Arnold Palmer invites-who-the-hell-he-likes Invitational: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).Great to see the 2011 model Luke Donald prove he's lost none of his competitive edge with an exciting Transitions win last week, in circumstances that Ernie Els could only smoulder about. Have to feel sorry for the Big Easy; he gave himself the chance to resurrect his career and came up short. Actually short and right, then pulled left.

2).But that shouldn't detract from Luke's performance, clearly the best under playoff pressure, and now he's off for two weeks' practice before heading down Magnolia Lane with a confidence booster under his belt.

3).The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort is considered by the pros to be the best of the "Florida Swing", but Transitions conclude their sponsorship this year and this Tampa-area stop remains the only PGA Tournament without a sponsor for 2013. The broadcasters last weekend seemed to consider a new sponsorship agreement was imminent, but no such optimism from Timmy Finchem in his news conference yesterday. Fingers crossed that a great event can be saved.

4).Finchem also has to find a sponsor for his secondary circuit, known currently as the Nationwide Tour. To try and build pizzaz and make his minor league effort more attractive to sponsors, he announced anticipated changes yesterday to the FedEx season, the PGA Tour season and the qualifying process.

Some details are posted here by pgatour.com:

http://www.pgatour.com/2012/company/03/20/schedule-nationwide-changes/index.html#

We'll all have different reactions, and some details have still to be worked out, the most ticklish being:
~How to dovetail the top 75 Nationwide players and PGA Tour moneylist #126 to #200 to assure the most deserving are given the best advantage to graduate from the brand new 3 event qualifying series.
and:
~~How to treat existing Fall Series events which now become the first tournaments of the 2013/2014 season. Do they receive full FedEx points? Do the winners receive a Masters invitation?? etc etc. The "Fry's.com" currently at the forefront of that debate.

The party line from the PGA Tour pros is: "In Tim we trust". Snedeker goes somewhat further and reminds us that it took the Tour four years to get the FedEx formula correct. We can't afford to have four goes at this, says Sneds, we have to get this right first time.

But there are sceptics: JB Holmes, who along with such luminaries as Dustin Johnson, Anthony Kim, Rickie Fowler, John Huh, etc reached the Tour first time via Q-School, had this to say:
"So we're going to end the season in September, then basically start it again a week later. We make all these (FedEx Cup six years ago) changes so that the season ends before (American) football starts, now we're back competing against football again.
Dumbest thing I've ever heard, and you can quote me on that." Thanks JB!

5).My feeling is that Finchem is missing a host of great storylines with his Q-School changes but, when the dust has settled, there will be only marginal impacts, primarily to the following:
a).Top international players outside the world's top 50, viz the Brian Davises, Alex Cjekas of this world who won't attract sponsors' invites and will be subjected to a two-year qualifying process. They might as well stay at home. And that's most probably Finchem's thinking, as he closes his shop to all but the most marketable "overseas" players.

b).US Collegiate players who would normally have a direct route to the "show" via Q-School. Unless they attract sponsors' exemptions and reach the top 200 money winners, they have a best case two-year road to get to the Tour.

c).The two-Tour double-dippers, think Oosthuizen, Westwood, Casey, Stenson etc who only play the minimum of 15 events. Currently they would bank on four FedEx tournaments contributing to those 15 with the knowledge that they could add a Fall Series event if necessary. But now, if they don't qualify for East Lake, they're stuck on 13 or 14, in Finchem's handcuffs, so they'll have to add an event or even two.

d).Lastly, Medical Exemptions are going to have to be thought through - no incentive to play through injury, go on the injured list asap.

6).Enough of that fluff, there are more important things in life:
Jarrod Lyle update: "I've finished my first round of chemotherapy, so I'm pretty much lying here in bed waiting to get an infection."
Lyle's sense of humour is irrepressible: "My immune system was pretty bad before I came in to hospital, now I'm a lot worse. It's one of those situations where you've got to get a lot worse before you get better. I'm just taking it day by day now."

7).And so to the Arnold Palmer invites-who-the-hell-he-likes Invitational at his Bay Hill Club outside Orlando. The winner this week, and next week in Houston, (but not on the European or any other Tours, oh no, no, no, no) will receive a Masters invitation, and so will the owgr top fifty not otherwise qualified as at Monday, March 26th. I'm assuming Paul Lawrie, at #45, is secure, so those who are on the bubble, with an approximation of what they need to do this week, are:
#48: Ben Crane: Playing Bay Hill and likely needs at least a top 18 finish to be sure.
#53: Goosen took the Tavistock money and rushed off for treatment on his ailing back rather than play Bay Hill and try to gain Masters entry. Bizarre and you'd rather think that, given that attitude, his career goose is cooked.
#57: Rock: Playing in Morocco and almost certainly needs to win, second place probably not quite enough.
#60: Chalmers: Playing Bay Hill, likely would qualify with a solo 3rd.
#61: Manassero: Playing Morocco and needs to win! Paying the price exacted by Billy Payne for not being Japanese.
#62: Els: Oh that missed par putt on Copperhead's 18th! Now needs at least a Bay Hill 2nd place - but he won here two years ago!
#64 and #65 Allenby and HowellIII might have a very mathematical chance with a 2nd place finish at Bay Hill, but their final destiny is out of their control given possible fluidity in and out of the top fifty.

8).If it's the Arnie Invitational it must be Sam Saunders on the tee, oh yes, and Robert Damron too. A bunch of others with similarly tenuous qualifications also. Come on Arnie, this is called abuse of power; these guys are not competitive and you've given them more than enough breaks. (Though there are rumours that Sam Saunders will be mailed a Masters invitation should he make this week's cut.)

9).One of the toughest tournaments to pick a winner at this week, Woods obviously with the most "previous" but who knows how fit he is (except possibly Hank Haney)? I like Webb Simpson's chances on lots of levels, but can't recommend anything more than a small e.w. investment on anyone, O'Hair and Jacobson rank outsiders with a touch of form here.

10).Martin Laird "defends" his title, McDowell has played well here and Poulter makes an appearance after his pneumonia and uncompetitive appearance at Doral. I'd imagine Justin Rose is running on fumes and Thomas Bjorn has withdrawn. Greg Owen is back, and can he make up for his mega-collapse a few years ago?
Stranger things have happened, just ask Tim Finchem.

So... are we in for another Sergiomania today...?!
3 consecutive birds!

Good stuff, hopefully the wind gets up for hte afternoon starters.

super_realist wrote:Anyone got the PGA app for their phone? Jason Duffner looks a right sweaty bloater on his picture.

Yeah know exactly what you mean. Good start from Sergio.. Nice 45 footer holed!

Poults now -3.
Diggers gets the voodoo doll out.

Plus: Team GB&I are -5 already, Thanks to Poulter, Laird, McDowell.

Im sure Poulter will self destruct on his own without any pagan assistance from me. Its laughable that he said he had pneumonia, talk about a drama queen. Probably a mild chest infection at worst.

Probably true Diggers,

pneumonia is something I'd expect the tournament host to complain of.

If he does he'll be a celestial host next year.

If he's a "celestial host" the players will stay away in droves, just ask Byron Nelson.

Quite right to, pointless turing up to honour a dead person.

I see kwini's favourite player, sam saunders, has just made two birdies to get himseld back on the cut line. Come on sam.

What version of sergio will we get on the back nine?

gmaaaaaaaaaaaac!!!

Setting up nicely for some good viewing this weekend with a good mix of Europeans flying the flag.

If Tiger can finish in top 3 say, then nicely set-up for the Masters.

Miraculous comeback from career threatening achilles "injury" from Woods.

Pretty clear Woods did the right thing really in walking off. I have to confess to being somewhat bemused by this seeming code of honour that you are duty bound to trudge to the end of a golf tournament whatever the injury.
If a player gets a niggle in a football match chances are they will come off, if a player picks up an injury in a tennis match they will retire.
Its basically the common sense thing to do.

Just as in football, it happens to some people more than others.

Perhaps Tiger is becoming the Michael Owen of Golf?

Diggers wrote:Pretty clear Woods did the right thing really in walking off. I have to confess to being somewhat bemused by this seeming code of honour that you are duty bound to trudge to the end of a golf tournament whatever the injury.
If a player gets a niggle in a football match chances are they will come off, if a player picks up an injury in a tennis match they will retire.
Its basically the common sense thing to do.

He couldnt manage 7 holes with a slight manufactured limp? I have no doubt he threw in the towel as his score was only going one way.

I think just question how you can get a golf injury. Seems pretty impossible to me.

Of course he could have managed it but to what end ? Aggravate an injury for a completely futile gesture ? Its not like there werent a whole host of other players out there for the fans to watch.
Again, a cricketer, footballer, tennis player, hockey player, rugby player...anyone would do the same. Why should golf be any different is the question ?

Diggers - Exactly. IMO, it's absurd to think we know more about the impact of playing with that injury than he does. Tiger's all about Tiger -- so I'm pretty sure he knows what playing through injury means to him.

If he were in the lead at Augusta and in the same situation I'm sure he would have played on. Not all tournaments are created equal -- even Mr. Palmer might be able to comprehend that!

Looks like a Trunk Slammer for Ben Crane and a Top 50 ranking and a Masters Invite in jeopardy.

Meanwhile,
Among the hale and hearty, some mighty fine rounds in progress, though looks like Duffffie's hit a blip - still going well though. McDo, Poults, Sergio, CHIII all cruising, and a decent defence so far by The Laird.

Apparently Willie Wood has withdrawn from the World Bowls because of an elbow injury, whilst Ronnie O Sullivan won't be playing in the World Champs this year because of cue burn on his chin.

That's how silly a golf injury is.

On another note, Poults is giving a great short game demo right now. -4.

Laird needs to pay a return visit to the Stockons. A 5 and 6 footers missed for birdy, and not much else dropping either.

gmaaaaaaaaac!!!

Poults has eagle putt to join GFAT on -6

Super, how much force is created when Woods hits his driver ? He hits the golf ball pretty hard, possibly too hard but thats a bit irrelevant to the argument as to how you can pick up an injury playing golf.
The fact is he did and he took the best option available to him to manage the injury.
Its funny that people complain that we see too much of the Woods on the TV and now suddenly he is the bad guy for not allowing us a whole extra 7 holes of utterly meaningless golf coverage.

Hold on, I'll just get my torque gauge out.

Just another example of Woods lack of a brain. Swinging too hard for his fragile body. Glad he retired though, shame he wouldn't do it permanently.

get in poults lol!!!

super_realist wrote:I think just question how you can get a golf injury. Seems pretty impossible to me.

i have had one, At a time when i was hitting 500 balls a day!!

richard boxhall broke his leg swinging a golf club an all.

the pressure on the body from certain repeated swings can be great!

Tigers swing creates so much presure that it was allways obvious if he didnt change it he would break down! most have been saying that since he was young!

HOpefully means his career is nearing an end then Oakey.

Lol.. However does any remeber boxhall breaking his leg on a swing-Id like to see someone playing on after that!!

I personally almost walked in after 2 holes today- felt mangled, but ventured on !!

gmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaac!!!

wooooooooooooooow!!!!!

Only followed that last hole on shottracker... was it for real ?!!!?

wow what a round by gmac!!!

63- joint leader

Oh no... on shottracker they were showing it as GMac holed his second shot at the 18th... looks it was 'only' a birdie!? Still, what an amazing round by McDowell!!!

yeah lol- shot tracker goes mental alot of the time.

Very pleased to have Graeme McDowell in my yahoo team!

And Laird might have missed two or three tiddlers, but he made a couple of nice putts coming in. So far, so good.

An unusually stretched field with 24 shots between Duffffner and Ricky Barnes, and they played together!

Sam Saunders exceeding expectations . . . .

Four Team GB&I in the top 12.
Arnie caught a break - if Lukey and Rory had turned up that would be SIX in the top 14.

4 consecutive birds executed by mr. woods...

And three on the bounce from Justin, trying hard to keep up.

I remember seeing a slo-mo video of a Woods' drive once, years ago. They were showing how, as his arms approached the top of his back swing, his lower body was already powering into the downswing and not just a little bit. There was a sports physician or somesuch talking about the level of opposing forces in play to achieve this.

It was quite remarkable to see slowed down and not something to try and repeat or there'd be all sorts of unpleasant tearing no doubt! I'm sure it must be on YouTube somewhere but I can't find it.

Golfing injuries? Twisted ankles, jarred wrists and elbows and the dreaded mid-winter-thinned-long-iron-finger-tingler.

damned3putt

That is a very good point.

I dont think the likes of super_realist consider how different tigers swing (or any other big hitting pro) is to their own. Tiger uses (used) a swing that created immense forces in a way the previous generation of player did not think possible.



Ernie watch

I am guessing the general consensus is that Ernie is a little far back to be thinking about playing ANGC in early April?

Nice to see tiger hasnt lost art of hitting it miles off line and getting jammy as hell. cannons into fence to stop him going OB.

Matteo and Rock have their work cut out for them if they still have aspirations for Augusta.
But the dream is over for Greg Chalmers and, quite possibly, for Crane as well (let's hope, it's slow enough there as it is); his fate will likely be in the hands of others.

Crane will have to get very unlucky to get passed by three players.

there are not that many players in striking range playing well this week.

Ryo barely made the cut, and he is losing a big tournament in his 52 tournament resume.

Furyk ~T35
Byrd MC
Woodland ~T27
Els ~T15

I think Matteo, Wagner, Singh have to win to pass Crane.

It looks like he can start making Hotel reservations.

Super showing from the leading Europeans at Bay Hill.

And let's see who's among the runners next week at Houston:
Bjorn
Blixt
Casey
Cejka
Clarke
Davis
Hansen
Hanson
Harrington
Jacobson
McDowell
Owen
Pettersson
Stenson
Westwood

the mini break westy has had should make all the diff in houston- and the fact that rory and luke are out he can shine with less pressure.

rose,garcia,laid, poulter all with a chance this week/ Personally i cant see poults shooting low enough to trouble from were he is - however serg and rose have the game to go out and shoot a low 60.

Woods is even money lol, may just lay him off! well i suppose he has won 33 times out of 41 from this position before - that would tell you evens is brilliant value! however there is no tiger factor any more- players wont turn to jelly!

It seems kind of funny to me that Europe is claiming Pettersson as a European.

When is the last time he actually played a European event (besides Majors, WGCs)?

It would be kind of like USA claiming Aaron Baddeley and South Africa claiming Justin Rose.