PGA Tour: "Wells Fargo Championship" in Charlotte: Notes from the Ballwasher

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1).The Zurich Classic of New Orleans continued it's new lease on life last weekend with a decent field, a fine leaderboard, exciting finish and a deserving winner - first-timer Jason Dufner, the third first-time winner of the season.
New Orleans was once a popular Tour stop but a change of course, continued messing around of the dates, and some awful weather resulted in progressively weaker fields and uncertainty about its future. Thankfully "Zurich" stepped in, the course has matured somewhat (looked really good last week) and fields are steadily improving. Credit also to the Tour veterans who have supported the tournament through thick and mostly thin: David Toms, Jerry Kelly and Stricker among them. Now the future is looking very bright.

2).A rare appearance from Stricker in an increasingly light schedule. He's just playing The Players and (defending at) Memorial before his return to Olympic Club for the US Open, where he contended in 1998 before finishing 5th.

3).Despite the best efforts of Ernie Els (a limp conclusion to a fine tournament) we are still to see the first "International" win on Tour this season - six runner-up finishes from those eligible for Presidents Cup selection, but nary a winner.

4).Consolation for Ernie will almost certainly be a berth in the owgr Top 60 in three weeks time and qualification for the US Open. And that will save the USGA from having to offer him an invitation, for this year at least.

5).Another good week for Luke Donald as he put Augusta and Hilton Head disappointments behind him. No doubt that Luke is one of my favourite golfers, but I see he's leaving himself open to criticism in his statement that "it would be great to have more (events) in England". "With myself, Lee, Justin Rose, Ian Poulter and others from Britain, it makes sense to me to push for another event."
No question about that but Celtic Manor is only just across the border and recent support by these players has been conspicuous by its absence, Luke's sop to Montgomerie in 2010 apart. And there's the rub for sponsors: If you build it, will they come? And the answer from "Luke, Lee, Justin Rose, Ian Poulter" and so many others (McDowell excepted) has been a resounding "No!".
Come on Luke, time to put your money (or at least your itinerary) where your mouth is.

6).Wells Fargo has come a long way from its early days running the westbound part of the Pony Express delivering express mail and banking services to California, its stagecoaches now replaced by a glittering banking empire and the successor to Wachovia, the original sponsor of the Charlotte stop on the PGA Tour. The Lone Ranger and all those who protected those mail runs would doubtless turn over in their graves had they seen the extent to which Wells Fargo has been the sinner, rather than the sinned against, these past few years, but none of the 156-strong field this week will give a monkey's about banking irregularities, taxing avoidance scandals and forced foreclosures as they tee it up at Quail Hollow for a few $mill of Wells Fargo's (or is it America's tax-payers'?) petty cash.

7).But you can't buy Tiger Woods. Oh no, no, no!
Tiger's had enough of inquisitions by the media prior to tournament play so now conducts a question/answer session via social media instead.
Read Geoff Shackleford's take on this latest snub to journalists in GolfWorld:
"It seems Team Tiger believes taking the questions you want and answering them in an edited video is the most effective way to use social media. But one of the main attractions of Twitter and Facebook - especially when it invloves the famous and admired - is the sense by participants that the interaction is genuine, spontaneous and open. 'We're probably a little bit behind with social media,' admitted (Tiger's agent Mark) Steinberg.
With this latest move, Team Tiger will continue to be so."
Sponsors must be delighted . . . . . .

8).Quail Hollow (the course, not a commentary on the first Bush's Vice President's understanding of international affairs) is an early 60's design by George Cobb redesigned by Tom Fazio in the nineties. CBS will wax orgasmic about the course, but it's not universally popular and its short par-4 eighth is a borderline ridiculous hole (though the short par-4 14th is a good 'un).
Phil Mickelson described the greens as "by far the worst-designed greens we play on Tour", and others have been equally uncharitable resulting in a somewhat disappointing field. Regardless, the PGA Championship is due here in 2017 and the tournament has the reputation as one of the best run of the year.

9).Rory, Lee, Hunter, Tiger and Phil lead the entry, but no other European-based pros are on hand, nor Scott, Els, Schwartzel, Poulter, McDowell, Garcia, Oosthuizen, Rose etc, etc. The list of Champions here includes Toms, Vijay, Furyk, Woods, McIlroy and Lucas Glover, while Mickelson has arguably the best record here among the non-winners. Some of the top pros are based in the Carolinas, but very few of them are showing much recent form and this looks a wide open event.

10).I wrote last week about one son of the Carolinas who sadly won't be with us this week, the Legend of Willie Mac (Will MacKenzie). A postscript to his costly double bogey on the last hole at San Antonio: In last week's Nationwide tournament in Georgia he outdid himself by falling from a lead halfway through his final round, six over par the rest of the way concluding with a triple bogey on the last. Of such stuff are careers made. And lost.

Plenty of guys not taking up their places in the Players field for next week.
Not sure who all of them are, but certainly no Bjorn, Clarke, Goydos, Johnson (D), Hansen, 2 x Kims, Marino, Paul Lawrie, Schwartzel, Watson and likely one or two others.
Question marks perhaps at the fitness of Woodland, Love, Van Pelt and Trahan.

Schwartzel not playing the Players would not have anything to do with Chubby pulling a few strings, now would it?

Midway point I know but good to see a return to form for Watney, Simpson, Cink & Karlsson.

Even without Woods this could be quite an exciting weekend of golf ahead.

Mickelson and Westwood off in the second group out Saturday, at 8.04 a.m. local. Conditions should be ripe for scoring, Rory 2010 time if you like. If they can't go low then . . . . . .

EmmDee,
Apart from Senden, none of the leaders have been in any sort of form! Almost as if the formbook has been turned upside down!!

Ha ha Woods misses the cut, oh how he's back

Big break on Friday for Woods and all the rest of the "morning wave", with 2 x 64's out there and plenty more low numbers. Johnson Wagner was the only afternoon player to break 68 and Mickelson said he hadn't seen a course change so much in fifteen years.

Saturday will see another warm day, breezy and a chance of thunderstorms by afternoon.

Americans dominate the leaderboard, 10 of the top 12, 16 of the leading 22; but conditions look as if they'll favour the early starters and hopefully Davis and Laird might be among those benefitting. Both played well Friday with catastrophic finishes - Davis was bogey-free, but a pity about his 3 x double bogeys, one on the last.

Should be an exciting Saturday and I for one won't be surprised if the leaderboard is more compressed tonight than it is this morning.

No one from the early starters is taking it deep today at Wells Fargo.

Lefty is lowest at -3 for the day, Handful of others (including Westy) at -2 for the day.


Edit, Lefty and Westy just now birdied #15 to get to -4 and -3 for the day.

Yeah, Looks like weather coming in from the north-west as well. It could get a touch blustrous for those out on the course in about an hour.
By that time Lee should be on his third pint, Phil on his third cheeseburger.

Good rounds by both if they can complete their 18 without mishap.

Lefty at -5 for the day. 3 hrs 20 minutes and they are on the 18th fairway.

Easy to play fast with (nearly) empty course in front of you.

Looks like Lee and Phil had fun out there; eight under par in aggragate and finished two holes ahead of the slowcoaches behind them. Pity they waited until the back nine to get cracking, but at least they've proved there's a score out there.
50/50 chance they'll play together Sunday too!

67% chance of playing together if they go with split tees because of weather issues!

Phil has a pressing appointment in St Augustine Monday evening! I am sure that there is some sort of "Meet and Greet" tomorrow evening too!

Goooooo Roooooors!
Threeeeee ooooooooooout ooooooooooof threeeeeeeeeee!

And someone's woken Ogilvy up too, perhaps playing with Tiger!

Decent round by Laird if he can finish it off, but only Ogilvy really setting 'em alight. Until Rory!

First three holes and only three putts for Rory: a 3 footer, a 9 ft and a 40 ft. At the 4th hole he had a 26 footer which ended only inches away. Great sign, the whole range of putts looks to be working a treet today...

What price a front-nine 29?

kwinigolfer wrote:What price a front-nine 29?

Probably about 500/1 right now...

That's better; even an opening 32 and a bird on #10 would work.

Anyone not shooting in the 60's is roadklill - who'd've thunk it? Weather improved if anything, for the time being anyway.

Bugger, why is bruce Critchley the commentator on sky? I open to hear him comment the course feels british because the holes are tree lined.

Could McIlory repeat his final round 63 trick?

No joke, I have just remembered that this is saturday and not sunday.

From 6 behind, now Rory only one behind the leaders after 10!

Come on Rory!
The leaders aren't getting away; Simpson and Watney seem to have stalled. Good!
Lead overnight was at -12 and it still is.

Rory!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brilliantissssssimoooooooooo!!!

Rory!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seems there's a ceiling there at -13. Not a bad thing if it stays there, unless Rors can bang his head through it.

Looks a bit odd for the last group Webb-Watney being surrounded by virtually no galleries (Simpson living just beside the course)...

According to shottracker, Rory's drive at the 16th was 377 yards!

Nick Watney needs a bra, terrible moobs

That was more than a little careless from McIlroy.

D'Artagnan + French clown = Rickie Fowler

pedro wrote:D'Artagnan + French clown = Rickie Fowler

He really is a massive tool what with thqt moustache and the bible studies nonsense.

Following Woods' welcome demise I think fowler will replace him as my most hated golfer.
That tash is ridiculous.

Looks like Rory will be one group or two removed from the leaders. Won't affect him, but it might distract the 13 unders if Rors gets off to a good start.

Looks like Westwood and Mickelson have avoided a repeat pairing.

Crane and Cink a hole and a half behind - pathetic when you consider Rory had to wait on every shot - 15 minutes at least on the 17th tee. Get Crane off the Tour for a few weeks; that'll teach 'im.

I guess a bad mustache is as good as reason as part of the "god squad" to dislike a golfer. Or a bad wardrobe.



But it seems pretty superficial to me.

I'm not a fan of god winning the tournament as he does for Webb and Bubba


But I do like Rickie Fowler and partly down to they way he dresses, he's different and always seems to be himself instead of media contrived which is how I sometimes see Rory. Even think his crap tache! Is not actually all that bad plus the fact he has a less than picture book style so makes him watchable as he does it his way.

I hope Rickie or Watney take this one, Watney doesn't come across as the most intelligent but I can't bare to watch another Simpson Sermon speach

I actually don't mind the way fowler plays with his ghastly swing, just as I like watching jm sing and furyk for their unorthodox styles, but fowler looks lile a prize plum, if it was ironic I could let him off with it, but I think he's serious, and he's getting too old to be wearing clothes like that, especially when he wins bugger all. He's not a rapper, hes a middle class white boy, and its pretty tragic.
It's like jean alain boumsong wearing pink boots. If you're going to wear something like that you better be good enough to carry it off, and fowler isnt. (plus he's a god botherer to boot)
Entirely good reasons to dislike a player, people have far fewer reasons to like a player.

Regardless of him dressing like some ghastly leftover from a Ben & Jerry's scoop shop, I'd say Rickie Fowler is among the top handful of players to watch on course.
Plays very quickly, quite aggressively, is anything but infallible, and generates a je ne sais quoi buzz.
Maybe he'll even win one day; perhaps today?

Should be a picture perfect day in Charlotte for Round 4 of the Wells Fargo - apparently Wells and Fargo were businessmen from Buffalo! Didn't know that!!

Morning conditions should be perfect, but warm sunshine and relatively low humidity should see the course drying up fast in the afternoon and greens close to baking.

Points and McIlroy left plenty of strokes out there on Saturday, and I'd think the winner might come from their pairing, especially if they can feed off each other. That is, the complete opposite of Rory and Sergio at Augusta.

Vijay came from six shots back here a few years ago to beat Sergio, but I can't see the firepower down the field that will cause that to happen again, with Mickelson and Westwood miles too far behind at -5.

Between the top ten then for me, and hoping that Rory does the business!

Agree kwini, without a doubt one of the fastest guys I followed on a golf course, maybe a bit too fast for his own good sometime... As for his dress sense(less), apart from the super-bright colors, I can't stand those factory-color-matched clothing/shoes sets he's wearing all the time leaving nothing to his imagination (how much of an imagination he has in that respect is another question). Reminds me of those terrible shirt&tie color coordinated sets you can buy in shops in the states (mind you, you can see those everywhere nowadays)...

C'mooon Roooory!!

Super- do you root for anyone in golf or just have varying degrees of dislike for the players?

I see the Bagdad Bomber will miss the players, according to his twitter page he wants to bond with his son for a month or so and take some time away from the game. Does anyone know how many other top 50 players have pulled put or not entered?

Mac,

Eleven so far:
Bjorn, Clarke, Goydos, 2 x Kim, D.Johnson, Marino, Hansen, Watson, Lawrie and Schwartzel.

Are you watching the action from the sports direct arena Kwini?

Yes I am Mac, hoping for a draw!

Nice little move by Laird going on at the moment.

Pedestrian stuff in the early going in Charlotte but Laird and Westwood are making a move now.
Strange how Lee makes so many of the 5 - 15-footers when there's little or no pressure . . . . .

Mac, Snap!
Unhappy with virtually every result in the Prem!

Only really bothered by the city win.

I cant remember what the v2 conclusion was on the Westwood putting thread but maybe it is as simple as nerves under pressure?

Do you think the likes of Simpson and Moore will feel pressure from McIlroy before a ball has even been struck, maybe a bit like a Tiger effect? Or has he not won often enough to evoke those sort of feelings?

Surely the hypocrites Simpson, Crane, Cink, Fowler etc shouldn't be working on the Sabbath? And when exactly do they go to church if they are making cuts every week.

Mental, deluded idiots.

Super

Kwini may have to confirm but it seems in america you get a breed of christian where they are almost fundamentalist other than some concessions to ensure they can live the perfect american dream lifestyle. Making millions on a sunday potentially crucial for them in meeting the american dream portion of the breed.

I think the fact none of those guys have been in the shake-up for a while will be more important than their bible-bashing.
Crucial for Rory to get off to a good start regardless, send a message.
Don't know who else is going to unless Ogilvy can find magic two days' running. Which to be fair he hasn't for a year or two.

kwini doesn't have anything good to say about America and its religion!

Would Kwini get away with airing those thoughts down his local or at a dinner party?