PGA Tour: Oh Canada, The Hamilton Academical: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).This week's PGA Tour test is the "RBC Canadian Open", in Ontario, at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club, staging the event for the fifth time. Many of the more notable participants will have arrived in the Toronto area via charter from last week's Open Championship, so let's look back before we look forward.

2)."I am happy for Ernie, but I feel sick right now."
Sure a milder version of Geoff Ogilvy's Twittered sentiment is how many golf fans felt last Sunday afternoon. As an unabashed fan of Adam Scott as a player to follow on Tour, but an equally unabashed fan of Ernie too, I can only imagine how Ogilvy feels - it was Scott after all who disembarked from his flight about to leave New York when he realised his good mate Ogilvy was in the Winged Foot shake-up six years ago, and the two celebrated deep into the night, flight departures be damned.

3).So where did it all go wrong? My theory is that Team Adam let their guard down and their focus slip following his birdie on #14. Steve Williams's sh1t-eating grin filled the screen and he was doubtless wondering just precisely when he would remove his cap to acknowledge his adoring gallery as the two made their triumphant stroll towards the 18th green, Adam following politely behind. Whatever, things went downhill from then on and they revealed their two-hands-on-the-wheel strategy by laying up on the fateful short par-4 16th when even most of the shoter hitters were going for it. A poorly played wedge and three putts ensured that the writing was on the wall.

4).Lots of speculation as to what has turned Els's career around, long putter, Billy Payne's two-finger rejection of claims for a Masters invite, coaches here and gurus there, but I reckon Greg Norman had a hand in it, handing Ernie a leadership role at last year's Presidents Cup as he chaperoned Ishikawa around Royal Melbourne. Els played pretty good golf that week, but then poor play in South Africa left him outside the qualifying criteria for Augusta, at which time Ernie's resolve seemed to stiffen and results steadily improved. Els played aggressively at Lytham and it paid off - in comparison to Woods for example, Els hit only 35 fairways compared to Tiger's 46, but hit 57 greens (incl Par-3's obviously) compared to just 46.

5).Lytham was criticised as a venue on this board, but I thought it stood up pretty well and looked good. Certainly had a very strong leaderboard each and every day.

6).One or two interesting pieces from the unctuous Peter Dawson during the past week or so:
~Royal Portrush: Without actually saying The Open wouldn't go there, he had this to say:
"A huge amount of money would need to be spent, in my estimation, to make Royal Portrush a sensible choice."
"The commercial aspects of it are quite onerous."
"The practice ground would need a lot of work."
"We don't feel short of Open venues right now. We're not rushing to look for more."
Sounds like the sort of pompous British attitude to anything in Northern Ireland that has caused quite a bit of trouble over the years.

~Troon in 2016. The Open might have to find a new date, with Wimbledon shifting a week further into July and Olympics starting August 5th. "Back to the drawing board" was his comment. The PGA Of America has a similar problem as their Championship was originally scheduled August 9th - 12th, 2016.

7).Which leads us seamlessly to Canada and the raw deal for the Canadian Open this week. Golfers committed for Hamilton, Jim Furyk, Mahan, Els, Kuchar etc, will be going directly to the Bridgestone followed by Kiawah's PGA Championship. A one week break (Greensboro for the hardy and desperate) then three weeks of FedEx Play Offs for the cream of the Tour. RBC's "ambassadors" have helped offer the field some substance but the overall turnout is disappointing.

8).But some participants this week have still to secure a place in the PGA field: Sean O'Hair (3rd here in 2006), Overton, Allenby, Villegas and Tim Clark just some of the more familiar names, while Thomas Aiken qualifies for "Canada" by virtue of his Lytham finish and another good week would likely see him squeak into the Kiawah field.

9).Hamilton G&CC is a hybrid of 27 holes, 18 of which are an original Harry Colt design, and has staged the Canadian Open just twice in recent years. Those in the field with some success here include:

2003: Won by Boring Bob Tway: Vijay (6th), Estes (14th), Ames (23rd), Goggin (23rd), Sheehan (23rd). A young Hunter Mahan also made the cut.

2006: Furyk (Champion), O'Hair (last year's winner in B.C., and 3rd in 2006), Sabbatini (6th), Villegas (6th), Immelman (6th), and, tied for 20th: Curtis, Van Pelt, Points, Hearn, Imada and Nathan Green. Brian Davis was 29th, Vijay 35th, Estes 53rd, and Greg Owen and Mahan tied for 60th.

Of these I fancy O'Hair, Estes, Davis and even Greg Owen to have decent weeks (10p e.w.?).

10).Scott Stallings re-emerged from a dismal injury-ridden season to win last week's "True South Classic" and Bud Cauley put weeks of poor results behind him to finish fourth.
But I was most interested in third-place finisher Billy Horschel whose career hasn't exactly gone as he doubtless planned when he was trying to wind up McIlroy as Rickie Fowler's partner in the RCD Walker Cup. But the man is a talent and actually kept some measure of composure in the heat of Mississippi to save third place. He's only got into the field at 11 PGA Tour stops so far this year (this week will be #12), but has survived 9 cuts. Horschel threw away his card in a tempestuous display of shanks and bad temper at last year's McGladreys but he'll be back and is too talented not to win. Soon.

Yeah, I read about that 'modified stableford' thing... personally, not so sure at all about this system though... You get a lucky albatross (which has to be ~75% luck) and you score the equivalent of 4 smartly calculated and hardly worked birdies!? But hey, it's Reno, it's supposed to be about luck and not so much hard work...!

Great start indeed for Owen, but finding it a bit tougher today. Ishikawa is trying to prove his doubters wrong this week, let's hope he can keep it at this rate untill Sunday evening...

Weekend off for the Big Easy and I don't suppose he'll complain about that one bit.

A nice start comprehensively wasted by Owen but still will be well placed for a decent finish on Sunday.

And EAGLE! for Russell Knox. Par on 18 will earn him a (four under) 66, just what he needs. (Well, actually he needs two more 66's on the weekend.)

pedro wrote:

Conehead wrote:Poulter and Harrington for wild cards if it stays like that then I imagine.

Quite a formidable Ryder Cup team when Kaymer is probably the weakest player on current form.

Poulter I can agree. But not Paddy. He was a scandal last time, and he doesn't seem to "fit in" with the other players.

Why do some people have to come out with such ridiculous statements? A scandal! He only just missed out on automatic qualification and would have qualified if this year's system had been in place then.

Having said that, if the team was being picked today it would be hard to argue against Poulter & Colsaerts.

Fair enough, Paddy went 2-2 last time around. It was in 2008 where he only scored 1/2 point despite being top ranked. Still, I wouldn't pick him.

You guys are all watching the Opening Ceremonies and I have to watch Golf!
Boo!!

But: 59 watch: Tim Clark at -8 after 14 holes; remember, this is par 70. He's baaaaaaack!

Kwini

They are currently honouring the NHS, you yanks would probably just think we were mad anyway.

Mac,
Hopefully they're doing something to dishonour Mitt Romney - looks as if he made a bit of a pig's ear of his photo-ops yesterday. What a complete and utter berk.

PS: The NHS is my health care system too, don't forget that!

I know kwini, just kidding.

Thankfully Romney being an arse hole has been overshadowed by olympic fever. I would hate to think he somehow came off in the fox media as sticking it to us foreigners.


I am not sure this ceremony will make much sense to the rest of the world. In fact they may think we are bonkers.

That's just fine.
At least we can poke fun at ourselves, self deprecation is something sadly lacking over here.
Expect they'll have a hoot at the NHS ad . . . .

Jinxed Tim Clark - no 59. Not today anyhow.

Where's Elton John?

Elton John?

The only Queen out there tonight was HRH! Complete with a face like a bulldog licking pi55 off a stinging nettle! Totally disrespectful how she barely acknowledged then and sat there picking her nails.

Great choice of band though with the Arctic Monkeys

Fader wrote:
The only Queen out there tonight was HRH! Complete with a face like a bulldog licking pi55 off a stinging nettle! Totally disrespectful how she barely acknowledged then and sat there picking her nails.

Don't blame her, I'd have done the same, and I'm not 86 having spent a lifetime of sitting through overblown stuff like this!

I think she has a duty to at least pretend to be interested in her nations biggest achievements.

She was knackered after the parachuting with 007.

Fader wrote:I think she has a duty to at least pretend to be interested in her nations biggest achievements.

I liked her speech

Sir Paul been on the pi55 with Joe Cocker?

McCartney was awful, did like the Cauldron though.

Fader wrote:McCartney was awful, did like the Cauldron though.

Agreed, underwhelmed (as I expected) for the most part but the cauldron was just fantastic

Watched some of this Live on Canadian TV, but bits of the rest on NBC. But they edited out a lot of the theatrics, and commercials every five minutes make it pretty much unwatchable.

McCartney forty years beyond his sell-by date, what was the point of his bit?


Never, ever, watch the Olympics on US TV.

Where were we?
Right, nice cut made on the number by Gary Christian, Brian Davis bogeyed his final two holes to spoil a good round but all Team GB play the weekend.

Off both tees Saturday, in threesomes as they are trying to combat a poor weather forecast - 79 for Round 3 so there'll be another cut and some disappointed MDF's.

kwinigolfer wrote:Where were we?
Right, nice cut made on the number by Gary Christian, Brian Davis bogeyed his final two holes to spoil a good round but all Team GB play the weekend.

Have we abandoned Casey to Team USA? Probably justified on recent form!

Oops, And he shot under par on Friday as well! Sorry Paul . . . . .

I hoped Casey might folow Harrington's lead and enjoy the mountain air in Reno but no!
But Christian and Knox will be there, Cejka and Chopra, plus a half-fit Richard Johnson. Quite a good field, in entertainment value if not in owgr points.


No joy for Ben Briscoe in Columbus either; promising start to his season now a distant memory.

I wonder if there will be a third round cut, given that one of the 79 golfers is an amateur.
Not sure what the rule is.

Super round from Brian Davis, but likely to start his Sunday just out of reach of the leaders.
Nice start slipping away from Russell Knox and all Greg Owen's fine work on Thursday being comprehensively thrown away. Ripcord please because he's parachuting to MDF range (if there is one).
Gary Christian purring along in the middle of the field.
This is looking like another American win in prospect.

No MDF cut. Why? Because 78 pros made the cut and 1 amateur.

The MDF cut is when 79 or more pros make the cut.

Yes, GPB, that's what I suggested.
Silly thing is though, that it doesn't address the reason they went to the MDF cut, which was the size of final day fields rather than anything to do with pro vs amateur.

Bridgestone and PGA Championship place on offer for today's winner.

US Ryder Cup Team:
Among the top twenty five in the US qualifying list with something to gain this week, Bo Van Pelt (14th - could reach 9th with a win) and Robert Garrigus (22nd - could reach top 12 with a win) are best placed for improving their position.
Furyk (15th) missed the cut, while Mahan (8th), Snedeker (11th) and Stanley (18th) will likely finish middle of the pack, at best, in Canada. Kuchar (in 6th place) is almost certain to qualify but needs a low round today to overtake 5th place Zach Johnson.

Given his current form, would still think Mickelson is the most vulnerable to slip out of the eight qualifying places by the time the PGA is in the books.

Reports that Webb(y?) and Dowd(y?) have had a baby girl.

Not named Hackett, as "Hibbz" recommended, or even Clattenburg, but Willow Grace.

More of a cricketing name don't you think?

Harry Frazar finished in 2 hrs 26 minutes in a One some this week

Yes, PMick and Mahan are vulnerable to lose their spots on the team. But it is really going to take the stars aligning against for them to not automatically qualify.

Both of them are guaranteed a ~40K paycheck next week in Akron if they finish the tournament. No cut. So that make the hurdle just a little bit higher.

Keegan, in 9th place is about 700K behind after Mahan's small check this week. He needs the equivalent of a 2nd in the BS or a 3rd in the PGA to pass Mahan and PMick.

And assuming BVP does not win today, anyone behind them has to do as well or better.

and yes anyone from about #30 (Nick Watney), can crash the top 8 with a win at the PGA. But there is a reason why those guys are about 20th to 30th in the standings. They are not playing well.

IMO, there is about a less than 5% chance that both will be passed and a 20% chance that one of them will be passed.

I am thinking that a non-American is going to step up and win Bridgestone and PGA in the next two weeks, almost guaranteeing a Mahan and PMick in the top 8.

Two years ago, it was 3400 points that made the US Team. This year 4200-4250 points looks like the magic number. Inflated purses make up some of the difference, but most of the difference is improved play from the Yanks.

Kwini

Are you watching this?

I am only checking the score but it looks like an interesting days play so far.

If there is no playoff, CBS is going to have about 35 minutes of extra time today.

Hardly saw any of that, was following the conclusion of the web.commer on-line to see how Mr 56 fared.

Fine finish by Gary Christian though, only made the cut on the number, yet passed a bunch of beaten horses to finish T10. Two more events for him, but he's getting closer to making the Barclays Play Off event.

Davis 15th-ish but bitter disappointment for Knox and Owen who finished well back.


No change for the US Ryder Cup placings 1 thru #16 where we find Garrigus following his T2 in Canada.

Commiserations, Kwini... I know Piercy really gets up your nose.

Hi Rr,
Piercy not my favourite but he's a helluva golfer and, for the second year running, made the most of other people's mishaps. Can't argue too much with that, unfortunately.