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

First topic message reminder :

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.

Perhaps Lee could post a 59 . . . .

Diggers

What spending power do utd have that is not down to building a big business over many years? If all the winning they have done over the last 20 years did not equate to the ability to spend big I would think you would find that rather odd?

Westwood -9 for his last 16 holes.

Just a thought but I'd think it more likely that these guys likely hold tour bible meetings where they discuss certain passages of bible scripture then attend church during off weeks.

Still would like to see a Rickieeeeeee win. Quite happy for Webb to disappear off the face of Gods earth so to speak!

Wow, Lee just tied Rory at -12! Why is he not doing this sort of thing more often, we all know he's well capable of doing it...?

The amount of money, $gazillions, that the American "Religious Right", racist and anti-women's rights that they are, pour into their political agenda is as frightening as it is influential.
The World should take note, but no chance of that.

Meanwhile, Westwood's flying!

Roooooors!!

Westwood, great results for a guy who can't put for jack.

Martin Laird has undone most of his good work.
And now Brian Davis is entering the Top Ten.
Crucial two holes for Westwood coming up - possible eagles on #14 and #15, but danger lurking also. Two birdies would be very good!

Rory is undoing some of his good work as well at the moment...

A very unchallenging golf course, guess thats why Westwood is in the top 10!

Ogilvy will nab this.

Josiah,
Not quite sure why you would say that.
Quite a challenging course in my experience, and rather a shame that Lee now looks unlikely to "post a number". It will play very difficult as the leaders turn for home - minus 16 would be a very good score.

Rory's driving is not good today, didn't hit one fairway so far...

I see Luke List is in contention for a second consecutive win on the NW tour... Any details about him? I read somewhere that he is the longest driver of the ball on the NW tour, but don't know anything else about him....

Luke List had a really strong amateur career, runner-up to Ryan Moore in the US Amateur, qualified for some US Opens, etc, etc. But his pro career has rather listed, Hooters Tour, eGolf Tour, and three Nationwide years. Apparently hits it a ton!

Crucial 7th hole for Rory - hope seeing Nick Watney build a snowman right in front of him didn't put him off!

Birdie'll do, but another on the 8th is v.important.

What might have been for Westwood.
What might be for McIlroy? The leaders aren't taking advantage of the easy holes, except Rors and pumaboy.

C'mon Rickieeeeeee and your crap tache!

Another very good week for Ben Curtis...

Rory wasting a great drive at the 11th...

Rory's got an extra gear than the rest of this lot.
Time to use it.

Rory needs to master the art of winning when you are clearly better than those around you, I hope this is the time for him to find the extra gear that kwini mentioned and start to master that art. He has about the same advantage as tiger did over the field in terms of ability but does he know how to use that like tiger did?

That approach putt wasn't what I had in mind! What exquisite touch - great response to Points's birdie-to-be.

Crucial drive on #16 now.

Rory looking good, super drive on 16.

If Rory saves par at 17 I will eat my hat

Spoiler alert

This is DA's after that horror shot from McIlroy on 17.

DA has a good chance if he can par the last however he looks quite a jittery character, I wonder if he can perform under these circumstances

Given that D.A has now beaten McIlroy - golfs current big thing - does that make him the new Tiger Woods (or even the new McIlroy)?

Rory fans can only hope for a Toms style 8.

Am I watching a slight tape delay or are you just being very over-presumptive Mac? One shot is nothing up the 18th...

Just a prediction but Mcilroy probably needs a three even with DA in bunker for two.


PS

can I change my prediction to a two shot swing???

C'mooooon Roooory!!!

Rickie Fowler should have known that when you go Oranje, you get into the habit of missing the title by an inch.

Time for Rory to unleash the Tiger within!

Fowler could well be in a play off!!

Is it me or did D A just mark the ball while off the green??

Here is the USGA definition of the putting green;

"The “putting green’’ is all ground of the hole being played that is specially
prepared for putting or otherwise defined as such by the Committee. A ball is
on the putting green when any part of it touches the putting green."

I am sure D A marked the ball on the second cut between the green and the fringe/fairway. Can anyone else confirm this and whether that counts as the green?

Well, Fowler is in playoff. Hope he doesn't win this. If he does, he will say invisible Jesus is behind him. I am praying for that Catholic boy to win this.

Personally would like Fowler to win, think it would really take his game to another level , really the same way it did with Coco.

Very ugly putt from simpson, is would be harder to miss by much more from that range.

Anyway

Who will be in the best state of mind going into the play off?

Nobody finished fantastically so I'd say Rory's experience of having won there before would be the only possible edge mentally.

C'mon Rory,
Time for that extra gear.
Rory hasn't really made a putt of any length today, and certainly missed a fair few inside 10 ft. Is he due? Or is he wobbling??

McIlroy outdriving both with a 3 wood!!

Hopefully Mcilroy is having a wobble, as I'm with Diggers and cheering on Rickieeee!

Nice to see U.S official gets the order the players finished in wrong!

Ironically Livingstone mentions the word "praying" for a Fowler/McIlroy pairing!

Rory's getting scarily long from the tee...
339 yard 3-wood passing the other two drivers

Prince

That is driver 7 iron for most people.

Is that Fowlers girlfriend! She looks about 12 perhaps we should say its not a crap tache but a Child Catcher tache

Great shot from Rickie, now roll your rock and drop it in.

Poor reply from Rory proving how far you hit your tee shot is irrelevant its how close you put your wedge.

Seems like the US lockout is going to continue. Great shot from Cardinal Richelieu.

I think Mcilroy was between clubs and Fowler wasn't. If not, then a very poor shot from Rory.

Gee, Jesus is set to win. There was Hollande hour ago. Markets set to crash tomorrow.

Like the Cardinal Richelieu nickname just needs a red cape and a funny hat! Oh wait....

Mac, Mcilroys was a poor shot the way he leaned after it and look on his face showed more a look of poor execution.

Praise the Lord !!!!