PGA Tour: Zurich Classic of New Orleans: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).Lousy field in San Antonio last week for the "Valero Texas Open", but that shouldn't diminish from Ben Curtis's superb win. That is Curtis's 4th Tour title, superior to most US golfers of his (under-performing?) age group. He'll now be playing the PGA Tour mostly, Europe's loss if he can maintain last week's form.

2).The TPC San Antonio certainly showed up better on TV than the spectacle of the past two years, and generally received high marks from the players. Biggest exception tended to be the continued penal nature of the course, and unforgiving "green complexes". Next year will be the proverbial acid test as the date of the Texas Open is moved up to the week before The Masters, and one hopes that the tournament will take a long-term view that they have one last chance to sell the world's best that this is a viable venue.

3).The highest-ranked contestant last week was Matt Kuchar but, for the second week running, he flattered only to deceive. How much longer will he grin (and I DO mean grin) and bear it, a small fortune in the bank but no outright 72-hole leads on Tour for over ten years? Can you say "under performer"?

4).Last week also saw some spectacular meltdowns. One of my favourite players to follow is Will MacKenzie, a professional kayaker, someone who gave up college golf in North Carolina for more extreme sports, snowboarding, rock-climbing, rafting, heliboarding, kayaking, you name it, he did it, all the while living in a van in the wilds of Montana. Inspired by Payne Stewart's Pinehurst win, he resumed golf via the Golden Bear, Hooters and, eventually, PGA Tours and collected a couple of wins.
His ball-striking is usually exquisite, his course management and putting eccentric. And so it proved last weekend. Seven under par for Saturday's round after 14 holes, he proceeded to drop five shots coming in, with a shank, three 3-putts (two from within 15 feet), and a career-saving tournament was headed down the drain. He played well again on Sunday, two under par for his round, a decent cheque waiting to be banked, but went four over par for his final four holes.
Back to the Nationwide this week. Too bad.

5).A recent survey of PGA Tour pros in Sports Illustrated had some interesting questions including:
"Who is the cockiest player on the PGA Tour?"
Top six: Sabbatini, Anthony Kim, Bubba, Every, Poulter, Scott Piercy.
One feels that, if more pros knew Piercy, he might be somewhat higher. He won in Reno last year only because Pat Perez self-destructed before he did. Last Sunday, a par on #18 would assure him of a top four finish. Nine strokes later he signed for a NINE and 18th place. Whereupon he left the green snapping his putter over his knee. Imagine Finchem will be further depleting Piercy's bank account.

6).And another Sports Illustrated observation. They frequently include a "My Bag" feature, showing the equipment of leading pros. Hunter Mahan's bag was mostly PING, with the accompanying sound-bite: "When I'm going to a major or a tough course, I want to have all the bite on my wedges (for all the) advantage I can get."
Trouble is, his bag clearly showed at least one Callaway wedge, rather than the Anser Forged jobs described!

7).Moving on: Given that the Masters thru Players month is something of a dead zone on Tour, what is the difference between the Texas Open and New Orleans event in terms of attracting the pros?
And part of the answer at least is Bradley, Crane, Donald, Fowler, McDowell, Rose, Villegas (not that he affects things much). What do they have in common? They are all sponsored by Zurich.
This is part of a growing trend, followed also by RBC whose "ambassadors" including Donald, Els, Furyk, Kuchar, etc, etc, were at Harbour Town and almost certainly will be in Hamilton for the RBC Canadian Open.
The PGA Tour looks down its rather long nose at appearance fees but there are appearance fees hiding in clear sight, just an extension of what Woods used to do with Buick and AT&T (still does to some extent, with HSBC too). Likewise Phil etc with Barclays. And there are plenty more.

8).With Harbour Town two weeks ago, and TPC in a fortnight, this is Pete Dye month on Tour with his TPC Louisiana the host course for this week's "Zurich Classic of New Orleans". The course opened about ten years ago, hosted its first New Orleans Open in 2005 to mixed reviews, got battered by Hurricane Katrina and reopened two years later to a more positive reception. This week should see it playing firm and fast and will be popular, not least for all the gastronomic delights available on the course. Course specialists include Messrs Dufner, Howell, Stricker and Toms.

9).Europe is represented by Team Zurich (Donald, McDowell, Rose), Peter Hanson, Karlsson and the regulars. Including Alex Cejka who has two tournaments remaining on his Major Medical Exemption in which to earn $323K. Otherwise it's trip to the Tour's knackers yard for Cejka; he's in his forties now and is five "cuts" short of qualifying for "veteran" status on the PGA Tour. Without that, his only route back is via Q-School, Nationwide and sponsors invitations.

10).No action on the Champions Tour this week but Mark James and Des Smyth went some way to alleviating financial problems in Britain and Ireland by earning $110K between them as they won the Liberty Mutual Legends "Raphael Division" last week in Savannah, repeating last year's success. Sandy Lyle (partnering Peter Senior) finished down the field in his division and his Champions Tour options are steadily expiring.
Strange thing about Lyle: He'll be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in a couple of weeks. It's twenty minutes down the road from his US home, but he'll visit it for the first time when they unveil his plaque!

Luke needs to birdie in. Too much to ask for the new Number One?

(Could change again next week of course!)

Assuming that Luke does finish Top 7 (and it looks like it), Rory will have a great opportunity to pass him next week.

right now, Luke is in a 4 way T3rd which is worth 14.82 OWGR pts. Rory will need about 5 OWGR points next week to pass Luke, which assuming an OWGR Level 60, is only a 17th finish.

If Luke finish solo 7th, basically all Rory has to do is finish inside the top 50.

The point is that Luke and Rory are in a virtual tie for the top spot. Until one of them distances themselves from the other, they could trade places several more times before one of them makes a claim on the #1 spot.

Duval and Woods traded places several times back in 1999. Woods and Singh traded places several times in 2004. It is not unusual.

And naturally, Westwood is in the mix if he wins next week.

Doon the Water wrote:Russell Knox -3 after 7 holes.

Just couldn't see it out. At least he is making cuts now.

Hopefully he'll take the positives out of it, Rr.
And hopefully he'll get in to Quail Hollow also, and that could be another good course for him.

Quite enjoying the ever changing No.1 position with Luke & Rory. Luke seems to accumulate points under the radar whereas Rory gains his with big wins. To me, Luke is deserved of the no.1 ranking at this moment in time.

Hope Ernie can win tonight although fair play to Dufner for still being up there. I imagine both are pretty nervous as the win mean so much to each of them.

Incomprehensible from Dufner.

kwinigolfer wrote:Incomprehensible from Dufner.

Driver would have been incomprehensible, that was just nervy.

If Ernie snatches this one from Duff, he'll have to send him a nice wedding present next week (~half a million worth)...

Duuuuuffffffffff!!! wow!

Unbelievable from Dufner.
With Palmer in the drink, and Triangle having lost his set-square on 18, it's all Luke's for 3rd alone. Surely?

Can't watch, but according to shot tracker they both just made huge par saves?

They both made HUGE par saves! Dufner's three times as HUGE!
And Dufner just made another one, much less huge but just as important.
Number One in the clubhouse in 3rd.

It looks like Rory will need about 7th place finish (where have I heard that before ) to pass Luke Donald next week. LMAO

Assuming DeLaet does not eagle 18 and ties Luke for Third.

Who wants to win this damn thing?
Obviously not just my knees are trembling . . . . .

Nationwide update: T18 for Briscoe and Skinns.

Surely Dufner won't 3 putt again.....

Ernie had three cracks at #18 and didn't get it done.
No complaints, Well Done to Mr.Dufner.

I wonder if Ernie will get that close to winning again. He seemed as nervous as a rookie trying to get the job done tonight.

Whew, finally. Congratz to Dufner. leaving bachelor-hood on a high note.

A few years ago, I played with the best player in our club. A flat-belly. He was playing his last round of golf before going to his destination wedding in Jamaica.

He really got hot with the putter that day and shot 63. Set the non-tournament course record from the white tees.

That was his last round of golf prior to getting married and he has come close to shooting 63 since. Everytime I see him, I ask him if he has shot and 63's since he got married. He just laughs!

Heart wanted Ernie, but also glad for Duffner. And yet another American win -- maybe I shouldn't give up Ryder Cup hope yet?

Very good tournament, cream rising to the top, course seems to be maturing, visually interesting and great that the weather cooperated.

As for the Ryder Cup, I wonder if the obsession with having lots of "picks" is going to backfire on DLIII - lots of guys playing well, no-one really standing out. Haas, Stanley, Furyk, Dustin and Zach, Kuchar, Watney, Simpson, Fowler, Toms and the rest. All outside the elite eight!

Good problem for Love, IMO. Winning builds confidence and Yanks winning last two majors and have had a heck of a start for 2012 which should inspire lots of those potential selections.

Fowler? I saw him take apart the GB and I team at Merion in 2009. That was a long time ago and the Ryder Cup isn't the Walker Cup!

Early however and top Euros VERY strong.

McDowell and Bjorn are the high-ranked withdrawals from the Quail Hollow field, Carl Pettersson the only top 100 replacement.
Knox up to 2nd alternate - let's hope he gets in.

This is the latest explanation of the field for The Players:

http://www.pgatour.com/2012/tournaments/r011/04/30/field-update/index.html

Added to these 148 players would be the winner at Quail Hollow if not otherwise qualified.

I don't know for sure of any impending withdrawals (Goydos almost certainly, question marks against Dustin Johnson, Bjorn, Love etc) but final "commitments" are not due until this Friday evening.

Good to see the season get back under way at Quail Hollow, I have definitively been suffering from a post masters lull and have failed to watch any golf since.

Mac,
You missed one yawn (at Harbour Town), one good story (in San Antonio), and one thriller (in New Orleans).

Decent field this week, but only about six of the top 15 or 16 players; lots of depth though.
Get watching!

PS: V. disappointing performance from Man Utd tonight; going without Valencia looked a big mistake from 3,000 miles away.

Rooney, park, giggs, jones and nani were all about 3 out of 10 if I was being generous. But yes, valencia would at least have offered some effort if nothing else. The only thing with Valencia is that he played so badly against barca in last seasons CL final that maybe Ferguson is yet to trust him in the biggest games.

Sky were obsessed about the game being decided by a little detail - smalling failing to track Kompany - but really it was all about city being a lot better all over the park. No shots on target from Man Utd!!!

I am looking forward to Quail hollow, especially now the football season is over.


I am no great Fehrety fan but he really gets stuck into the players in this clip and I am not sure all of them liked it;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpK7ipARF3o

I think ernie may have been tempted to whack him over the head.

Well, that's part one of Macs glory hunting week ruined, now if only Kimi crashes in the next engineering competition and Woods falls into a meat mincer it will be happy days.

Valencia would have kept Clichy quiet; City's full-backs were on Jones and Evra all night long.
Park has lost some of his pace, hasn't he?

I think s_r will get his Tiger wish these next two weeks; would think QH would magnify his problems and he's grown to hate the TPC. Redemption at Memorial?