European Tour - BMW PGA Championship

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It's Wentworth time again! And thank goodness the weather is great this week, for a change... According to the course keepers it's been probably the most challenging buildup they ever had for this event, with one of the warmest March on record, followed by the wettest April on record and followed by a very cold and wet first half of May. Not exactly what Els&Co. would've hoped for, as they'll be trying desperately to make some of that loud criticism of the course changes heard over the last couple of years a thing of the past... All eyes will be once again on those approach shots to the 18th (especially Lee's), but according to Ernie that particular problem has been resolved by some simple changes to the fringe rough and that should make it less likely for the ball to spin back into the water. And talking of rough and Westwood, I haven't seen it myself, but I read reports that Westy has been growing some rough of his own lately, sporting now apparently a beard , hopefully that'll bring him more luck this year if he decides to keep it. Lee has been much more diplomatic this year in his statements about the course changes and what happened last year in that play-off, but he couldn't stop saying that the greens are some of the slowest he's seen all year...

The Lee-Luke battle for #1 stole the show last year and that should be again a talking point this year as Luke will once again be trying to capture the #1 spot, only this time from McIlroy. Coetzee and the former surprise winner from two years ago, Simon Khan, are having a good start this morning. It's always disappointing to see top European Tour players like Garcia and Oosthuisen missing from the starting line up of the tour's flagship event, but there is undoubtedly plenty of strength and depth in there to make us hope for another enthralling Wentworth week!

Dyna, I think you're a little of the mark there. It wasn't Kwini but PrinceDrac.

Is that the first time it's happened Dyna? Maybe get some insole thingies for cushioning if it's across the whole foot?

Apologies all round if so.Rock is in the US open though I gather.
Im going to get new shoes next week TBH.I think its a combination of fatigue,getting wet feet a couple of times,arthiritis and of course age !.

I think you can get cramp along the bottom of you feet. Feels like a sharp pain rather than leg cramp etc.

Lee flirting with the cut line....

Sorry guys way off topic-back to the golf is any of the PGA on BBC?

Can someone explain how Ireland's David Higgins is playing in his 3rd Wentworth PGA in a row???

He has ZERO World Ranking points and NO TOUR CARD. His biggest Tour prize in his career to date was € 38,000 in 1996?

Is there qualifying for this event??

P.S. He's -3 with 1 to play so it looks like he will play the weekend barring a disaster.............

yeah lol before this he has played 7 events in 2 years and not made the cut once!!!!!!!

Really strange- rent boy or family ?

Probably something to do with his regional order of merit.

oh yep it is a pga event- he is obviously a club pro as standard

McIlroy +6 after 11 so it looks unlikely he'll be there at the weekend.

Humpyd wrote:Probably something to do with his regional order of merit.

Cheers Humpyd Either way, i wish him luck. Finished at -4. If he were to finish in his current position, he's looking at € 50k.

Yes all the regional winners are in there.Some doing Ok.
In fact Rock played his first PGA qualifying as winner of the Midland order of merit and did well enough to pick up more sponsors invites and just scraped the last card that year

As it stands some big names are going to miss the weekend.

Casey, Harrington, McIlroy, Clarke, Lewis, Laird, Colsaerts, Poulter, Bjorn and Rock are all outside the cut. Some haven's finished their rounds and it's always possible to pick up a few on Wentworth's last holes.

Scores far higher this afternoon than this morning's efforts, cut almost certain to drop to +1. But that won't be enough to save some of these who are running up cricket scores - wonder if it's too late for Colsaerts etc to sign back up for Celtic Manor?

For those of you in and around that amazing heathland area ...

1 - You must be embarrassed by your golfing riches

2 - Any of you make it to Walton Heath for the US Open Qualifier?

Kwini, I suspect it's the wind. It seems to have picked up a lot during the day so the early starters have definitely had an advantage.

i have done before- infact i saw cambell get through there when he won!!!

i used to caddy at walton heath- not a bad earner there

Wow, been out a few hours and I find Podge as the worst placed Irishman and Rors the worst N. Irishman!! Nice work guys! Meanwhile, what a great surprise from David Higgins! Brilliant! Indeed, he's in the field via PGA Ireland Region...

Looks like the 'circumstances' have changed somehow this afternoon, but still, great effort from Matteo and GMac to get back into the tournament... Not very impressed though with Colsaerts' follow up to his win last week...

Mysti - Caddy at Walton Heath ... nice office setting!

For that qualifier, do they play the Old, New or a composite?

I've been fortunate enough to play both courses and really enjoy both, but I suspect the Old would be a tougher test.

i was thinking about trying to become a pro caddy when i was 21 or so.

didnt bother in the end. Anyway i used to allways go to the european opens with my dad when i was young. They only used to change the 18th around from what i can remember!

Anyway i think qualyfing is 36 holes over both courses.

If Golf happened to be part of the Olympics this year in London, what course do you think they would have played.

Meanwhile, Caroline Wozniaski is seeded number 9 at the French Open. She was ranked number 1 pretty recently wasn't she?

GPB wrote:If Golf happened to be part of the Olympics this year in London, what course do you think they would have played.

I remember discussing this somewhere, not sure if it was on here. But anyway, I think it would go to somewhere modern like the London club or Queenwood (that of Tavistock fame). I see no reason to alter one of the classics like Sunningdale or Walton Heath just to host a second rate golf event.

I doubt they would have constructed a new course given land prices in the south east.

Does anyone know much about the course in Rio, all I know is that Hanse was picked?

Any one got a link to the field/tee times for Walton Heath and US Open Qualifying?

Another odd decision from a UK player that shows we should look at our own before claiming the americans dont like to travel. James Morrison will decline an invitation to the US should he win the PGA. Ok, his wife is due to give birth but surely she would understand.

Good decision by Morrison - there'll be other US Open chances if he's good enough.


Unseasonal snowmen on Wentworth's 18th for Olazabal and Hansen, probably others also. And a bad week so far for Northern Ireland - trust a high finish from Maybin will compensate.

"there'll be other US Open chances if he's good enough."

He probably isn't unfortunately. Once in a lifetime chance gone. He can easily have another child.

Sad news over in Germany at the LET tournament.

Melissa Reid 's mother died in a car wreck outside of Munich. Father was injured

This is from Ian Carter

"When does loss of form become a slump and when does a slump become a crisis? With Mcilroy we are in the loss of form phase"

Is it me or are some people either forgetting that Mcilroy isn't Tiger or that they really want him to be. Making every cut is not something that is really possible in pro golf and I see no reason to call even a couple of MC's a slump.

McIlroy could win by 5 shots any week he tees it up and will do so many times in his career, so why wet your pants over a couple of poor weeks? He has had an amazing 12 months, especially the last 9, and will only get better.

McLaren wrote: McIlroy could win by 5 shots any week he tees it up and will do so many times in his career, so why wet your pants over a couple of poor weeks? He has had an amazing 12 months, especially the last 9, and will only get better.

I hope you're correct... on Rory. I REALLY... REALLY do...

But a cautionary tale. I've been around long enough to remember Hal Sutton... That guy was absolutely "the heir" to the "Kingdom of Jack". The "answer" to put Seve in his place. Strong... long... best swing in the game many said... Great family, grounded... says all the right things... does all the right things... Wins his 1st year... wins bigger the next with a TPC and a major... can't miss... look out Jack... Shut up Seve... here comes Hal Sutton.

Then came the the FAME, the MONEY, the WOMEN, the JET SETTING lifestyle... poof... it was gone as quickly as it arrived. Oh he hung around for a while longer and managed a decent career, even hitting "...the right shot TODAY". But he was BETTER than that... WAY better than that... but he made almost the least possible he could have out of that magnificent talent. We know and he knows it... and to Hal's credit... he'll tell you the same thing himself.

EDIT: I'm NOT saying that Rory is on Hal's path... I don't want it... and I don't expect it. But he is in a similar part of his career as when Hal began to "head south", and at least "some" of the parallels of Rory's career trajectory, and even some of his off course ones... are notable. IMO the BEST thing I read this week was Rory admitting that maybe he wasn't working as hard as he needs to. Good for him. IMO, that's exactly what he needs to think... I just hope he goes out and does something about it.

Mac: I believe James Morrison decision to turn down a US Open spot is 100% correct and shows great family values in that as much as he love golf his family always comes first. Yes he can have more children but being there for the birth of your child is not something you can put into words and would far outweigh any major appearance or win as a life experience imo.

So to Rory, missed cut at the flagship events of both tours in consecutive tournaments. Not a crisis no, but world No1 form! No way, personally not to fussed either as I'm not a fan.

I see big Darren Clarke has gone to the belly putter to now does he think his putting is the issue, not really seen his stats apart from MC's this year, and Bruce "Colonel" Critchley (irritating git) reckons he is practicing to much!

Fader,

Clarke's biggest issue has always been the mental side. He's always seen himself as the worst putter in the world....................

Regarding Rory:
One of the BBC journos tweeted yesterday with a snarky remark about off course problems for McIlroy.

Meanwhile, his erstwhile buddy lw1 has just clocked up a triple to go with the three double bogeys he's logged so far this week. That's a year's worth.

Go David Higgins.....................if he can keep this up ad finish the week in the top 10 it will be a remarkable story....................

John Cregan wrote:Fader,

Clarke's biggest issue has always been the mental side. He's always seen himself as the worst putter in the world....................

Which is odd considering how well he knows Lee Westwood....

lol

Any more of this and Mrs.Morrison may well give birth a couple of weeks early.
That'll help get McLaren back in the good books of the politically correct.

Steve Elling is musing on twitter on whether is snows in London in late May. Ben Curtis and James Morrison have carded two snowman apiece today.

Two bad that we are going to get robbed of all the Mr Mojo Risin puns tomorrow!

James Morrison should have stuck to cricket.

Ernie Els critiicizes Wentworth Greens.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/18221484

"Anybody who has half an idea in this game can walk to the 12th green and see - it's dead. Somebody is not doing their job. Why is this happening?"
Els added that he had spoken to Tour chief referee John Paramor out on the course and was told there had been some watering.
But the South African said: "Well, you've got to triple it. I really am annoyed."

Wow... tough, tough day for Morrison and Drysdale today. In this environment, and against such a good field, it's sooooo tough for guys who're not often in that position to hold it together.

But our "Mr. Golf de jour" (Jason Dufner) illustrates that such experiences don't necessarily preclude future successes.

Same old same old from Ernie. Whinger extraordionaire...........Just SHUT UP and do your talking behing closed doors...........

What is Ernie's role at Wentworth ? Is he paid for it?? If so, if i was the owner of Wentworth, id tell him where to go.................

Course looks fine to me. Who says a Par 5 needs to hold a long iron every day....................

Ernie ought to let the organisers do their job and have a word after the round to the appropriate people.............

wow - donald clearly back to his best!

good golf 3 in the 60's

GPB wrote:Any one got a link to the field/tee times for Walton Heath and US Open Qualifying?

It's May 28th. This is the link but it doesn't say much.

A few random points from Wentworth yesterday (an alternative to proper on-course reports if you like):

* saw McIlroy practising reverse (left-handed) swings on the 15th tee. Perhaps he should have played left-handed? His eventual [first] tee shot was not good, sailing way left. Saw a lot of provisional balls generally.
* companion was sniggering at James [presumably "don't call him Jim"] Morrison's apparently awful score of 10 coming off 17 and passing us. Slight confusion over +/- red/blue... But I see he was at one point +10 for the round today, which seemed a bit ironic.
* funniest moment for me was on 1st tee. On display were Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup, US Open trophy, Claret Jug and comedically oversized Walker Cup. Rich Beem asked Michael Campbell if his name was still on the US Open trophy. The Kiwi went over for a sneaky look, turned back round and nodded with a grin.

And if anyone is going tomorrow, I'd suggest avoiding travelling by car if possible!

Scoring a bit easier today?

kwinigolfer wrote:Scoring a bit easier today?

Looks like it... at least so far... and if your not Monty...

kwinigolfer wrote:Scoring a bit easier today?

Watering all night in case poor Ernie has another tantrum!!

Sometimes golfers just don't get it.....................

Skydriver wrote:* funniest moment for me was on 1st tee. On display were Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup, US Open trophy, Claret Jug and comedically oversized Walker Cup.

Interesting and funny report... Other than butt-ugly jackets, the Crown Plaza Colonial trophy is about all that's on display here in Fort Worth this week. (That and the Hogan statue with tragically improper grip) Speaking of comically large... Not everything in Texas is as big as they say, but the Colonial trophy damn sure is. That thing is almost taller than past champion David Toms in stilettos. If they ever need to add yet another tier to that sucker, they'll need a crane at the presentation ceremony. (Double entendre Ben Crane NOT intended)

Oh and speaking of trophies... I don't know why... but I'm thinking the Ryder Cup, US Open trophy and Claret Jug will NOT be on display in Wentworth next year. But the extra muy-grande Wanamaker trophy will be (and will take up the same space as the other three). Not trying to be a "homer" for the U.S.A. sayin' we're bringing home the hardware or anything... its just a funny feeling I have... could be clairvoyance... but admittedly.... could just be gas....

Wow, great little battle in prospect between Luke and Rose with the Irish?Scottish duo of St Peter & Paul not too far behind... Looks like yesterday was a tough day out there, missed all the action due to incredibly beautiful weather around here, hard to stay inside...

What happened with Westy this week? Caddy issues...?

C'moooon Peteeeeer!

Damn it, gave him the kiss of death... should've stayed outside longer...

Luuuuuke!!