PGA Tour: Fall Series Chapter 2: Notes from the Ballwasher

1).Overdue win for Ryan Moore in his hometown of Las Vegas. Now second, having leapfrogged McIlroy, in career moneywinnings for those under 30 years old, some way behind Dustin Johnson.
And a runner-up finish for Brendon de Jonge, a consensus choice among the best Tour members still without a win. Brian Davis also on that list of course.
de Jonge is apparently freshly inspired as his compadre and mentor Nick Price is captaining the RotW Presidents Cup Team and has brought on board fellow Zimbabweans McNulty and Tony Johnstone (and Smiling Shigeki Maruyama) as vice captains.

2).Summary of last weekend's fun for the Europeans:
~Fine 3rd place effort from Jonas Blixt: In contention throughout and now is almost certain of a top 70 finish on the moneylist which means he's assured of exemption into next year's "Invitational" tournaments, Bay Hill, Memorial, Colonial, etc.. Pretty good considering he missed ten weeks of his rookie year.

~Good, career-best, tournament but disappointing finish for Russell Knox; terrific ball-striking week, but squandered four shots to par on his final 8 holes (and that'll be about $100K he could ill afford as he strives for his card - $500K short of keeping his card, probably about $250K from the almost equally crucial top 150).

~What to make of Robert Karlsson - like Knox he's well outside the top 125 mponey-winners, still needing about $400K to keep his card? Four under par for his opening eight holes on Sunday, five over the rest of the way. Cost against par: about $30K and, like Knox, is still outside the top 150 and can't be throwing hard-earned cash away.

~Gary Christian began the week well but folded at the weekend. At #122 now and desperately needs to bank another $100K+.

~Daniel Chopra: Just about to lose his card - Stage 2 Q-School for Danny Boy.

3).And congratulations to Sweden's David Lingmerth who won last week's web.com event and has secured his card for the 2013 PGA Tour.

4).Good week here for Europeans as Bernhard Langer was sufficiently inspired by Martin Kaymer's Ryder Cup winning putt to take the Champions Tour event and he now has the lead in the year-long Charles Schwab Cup, which comes with a $1M to the winner. Langer is now almost at the $10M Champions Tour career money mark.

5).Talking of the Ryder Cup, there seems little agreement here about why Team USA capitulated except, reluctantly, that Europe played better on the crucial 17th and 18th holes, not just on Sunday but starting with Luke Donald's tee shot on #17 on Saturday. Luuuuuke!
Presidents Cup action starts next October and, interestingly, the Top 15 in Team USA qualifying includes all the Medinah combatants, plus Mahan, Watney and Bill Haas.
The Rest Of The World leaders are:
Scott, Oosthuizen, Els, Day, Schwartzel, Grace, Senden, Choi, Ogilvy, Bae, Baddeley, Chalmers.

Who seriously thinks the RotW has any realistic chance?

6).European golfers already confirmed for Qualifying School Stage 1 include Gary Boyd, Dinwiddie, Oliver Fisher, Dougherty, McGowan and Romain Wattel (who I'd consider a real loss to Europe if he qualified for the PGA Tour).
There are two weeks of Stage 1 qualies and we'll update with notables signed up for Week 2 when fields are confirmed.
Sons of famous fathers are also in the field: Cabrera, Sindelar, Tway, Wadkins and Wiebe among them.

7).The Fall Series travels 550 miles north-ish to the Bay Area (just outside San Jose, California), and the Robert Trent Jones' Jr design: CordeValle Golf Club. The course, with its two Redan-like par 3's, seems well liked by the players and once again has attracted a fair field by Fall Series standards, led by Ernie Els and the first US reappearance by a Ryder Cupper in Nicolas Colsaerts.
At stake for those in the field, along with the $900K first prize, continues to be:
~Top thirty money placing and a trip to the 2013 Masters: Bud Cauley.
~Top 125 moneywinners and job security for 2013: Brian Gay, Weekley, Appleby, Jerry Kelly, Herron and Justin Leonard (each of whom have career money exemptions available), John 63-86 Daly, DiMarco, O'Hern, Villegas and, of course, Christian, Karlsson and Knox.

8).A couple of other European PGA Tour members are on the threshhold of slipping out of the owgr Top 50 and 2013 Majors exemption. Martin Laird is not playing this week but Freddie Jacobson is on a swift descent and needs a top finish fast. As they used to say about South of England trainers sending a racehorse to, say, Catterick or Redcar, neither Brian Davis nor Freddie Jac are going to see their relations in California and I fancy both to have a good week.
Edit: Update on Jacobson: Seems he's withdrawn. maybe he has gone to see his relations.

9).Lots of eyes on Nicolas Colsaerts this week - needless to say, if (big IF) he can keep it in the fairway and putt anything like he did when propping up Westwood a couple of Friday afternoons ago, he'll more than make the $100K+ he requires to qualify for PGA Tour membership in 2013 (along with Hanson and Ishikawa).

(One Ryder Cup star of the past, Henrik Stenson, has only played 13 tournaments and, unless he shows up at the final two stops of the year will visit the Tour's doghouse - potentially a senseless end to his lack-lustre flirtation with the PGA Tour.)

10).Last, but by no means least, congrat's to Ken Venturi for finally making it to the World Golf Hall Of Fame after last week's popularity contest electing (barely) Fred Couples once again passed Venturi over. Any International inductee still to be announced, but would expect Colin Montgomerie to go close.

Not much doubt about where Nicolas Colsaerts' golfing ambitions lie:

http://www.pgatour.com/video/r/highlights/interviews/2012/10/09/qt12frystuecolsaertspresserpgato-2242930/index.html

His English is impeccable . . . . . . .

Nice article kwinigolfer, thanks for posting.

Kwini

As always thanks for providing the best source of PGA tour information this side of pond.




Not really PGAT, but does anyone know what the format in Turkey is? The way the bbc reported the scores from day 1 it looks like one versus one stroke play. What a strange way to do it.

I think that is it Mac, and a round robin format of four in each group.

Very much a tinpot tournament that no one seems to care about.

The Turkey tournament is Medal Matchplay, similar to the old Dunhill Cup event that was played at St Andrews in the 80s & 90s.

The number of limited field huge money events at this time of year just seems to increase every year. Ernie Els described it as "getting out the wheelbarrow" and he certainly wasn't wrong. I miss the Dunhill Cup & the Matchplay at Wentworth which used to be played the first two weeks of October in times past. Most importantly, they attracted a lot of spectators which some of these far flung events certainly do not.

It seems the format is a bit of a joke really, as rory admitted that he gave up after one bad hole.

http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2012/10/9/so-much-for-the-turkey-finals-medal-match-play.html

And why are 1 and 2 in the same group?

Thank you Mac, incontinentia,

Could be tricky conditions this week at the Fry's; cooler (mid-60's) than they might expect and breezy.

Couldn't care less about whatever it is going on just this side of Syria, except that I see it's "Finals". Of what? Give me a break. Who cares? Certainly not the players.
Seems the PGA Tour is a bit exercised about having granted "releases" for eight of its best, however, and there may be some consequences down the road - like being expected to play certain events in lieu.

I thought the exact same thing with regard tw and rors in same group. Funny that it will be somewhat meaningless now. I'd be worried there could be ranking points on offer here next year

Would any of those playing in Turkey actually have played the fry's?

Was it the fry's where a guy through a hot dog at tiger one year?

McLaren wrote:Would any of those playing in Turkey actually have played the fry's?

Was it the fry's where a guy through a hot dog at tiger one year?

Shame it wasn't a hand grenade eh?

McLaren wrote:Would any of those playing in Turkey actually have played the fry's?

Was it the fry's where a guy through a hot dog at tiger one year?

Think that was last year..........Tiger played to justify his Wild Card pick for the Presidents Cup as a favour to Freddie........

Tiger also played because he had a connection with "Fry", as has Els I believe.

Mac,
I'm not 100% sure of the "release" rule, there seem to be varying understandings of it in the media, but Tour members are restricted in the number of releases (3, I think) they can secure for overseas events played opposite Tour events. Think this is #2 for Mahan and Woods.
For members of other Tours (e.g. Westwood, Schwartzel), that rule does not apply if they are playing in their "other Tour" event of the week, e.g. Portugal).

All a bit arcane, but it's not whether or not they compete at the "Fry's", or any other tournament that's at issue.

Nothing to do, directly anyway, with the PGA Tour, but isn't all the speculation about Darren Clarke being the next Ryder Cup Captain all a bit unseemly?
Especially with Westwood weighing in.

Clarke will be 46 by the time they're teeing it up at Gleneagles and I would think he's leapfrogging more deserving rivals, not least Paul McGinley.

Just a few weeks ago it seemed accepted that DC would be a great choice for 2016, given his popularity in the US. Don't know why the ET would change that - and then hand over to Thomas Bjorn for France in 2018.

Kwini

Not sure if paul deserves it, assuming the role is based on performance in your playing carrer. The following makes perfect sense so I have no issue if the wee fool McGinley is overlooked.

2014 clarke/maj
2016 bjorm/clarke/harrington
2018 westwood/harrington
2020 donald/poulter/westwood
2022 Rose/gmac
2024 donald (if not 2020)
2026 rose/gmac/

Too many combinations to cover but it is easy to see paul should probably be missed out.

I'd be 100% in favour of McGinley for Gleneagles - he's been publicly groomed for the job with his Seve Trophy roles and RC Vice Captaincies. Be a big snub if he were to be passed over.

Would think in general you're suggesting candidates who would be younger than the 48-ish norm. Somewhere I'm thinking Karlsson would deserve consideration but imagine he'll miss out (as I'd think MAJ will).

Clarke may be young for 2014 but his playing does are over and I doubt he will hang around the game for the next 5/6 years. So he should get the chance while he is still relevant to the game.


The years some prominent players turn 48

Harrington 2019
westwood 2021
Poulter 2024
Donald 2026
Gmac 2027
Rose 2028

So maybe I have put them down way too soon. I still don’t think McGinley has achieved enough to assume he should be given the chance. From what I have heard of him he is clearly not a very bright character either.

Don't know anything about McGinley beyond the very superficial - but don't see why he would have been selected for various leadership roles in the past if he was "clearly not a very bright character". Comments on 606 about those who have met McGinley seemed to be favourable.

Can't see how Clarke's playing days can be said to be over - he's got four more years of Major exemptions for a start, hardly think he plans to turn up at them in the manner some would characterize him.
I would expect Clarke has a lot more pride than some would give him credit for.

We'll find out soon enough.

Nice write up Kwin. Hope to see Colsaerts on the US tour next year. He has game enough, that's for sure.

There is a 49-year-old who plays his 26th PGA event of this year tomorrow. You have to admire his love for the sport and his energy and enthusiasm to show up week after week.

There's even a 53-year-old playing his 21st event, but I wish he'd go to the Champions Tour (where he's fully exempt) and offer his spot to someone fighting for his career.

After getting pumped by Woods Mcilroy decided to confirm the Turkish Finals event, is indeed a non event. Other than the $'s of course.

"I'm not that disappointed because I've got the afternoon off around the pool," McIlroy said. "I just came here because I have never played in Turkey and there is a lot of good players here. I thought it would be a fun week and it has been. So I've enjoyed myself. I feel fine and the energy levels are okay and I've got another week off next week.. "

McLaren wrote:After getting pumped by Woods Mcilroy decided to confirm the Turkish Finals event, is indeed a non event. Other than the $'s of course.

"I'm not that disappointed because I've got the afternoon off around the pool," McIlroy said. "I just came here because I have never played in Turkey and there is a lot of good players here. I thought it would be a fun week and it has been. So I've enjoyed myself. I feel fine and the energy levels are okay and I've got another week off next week.. "

Maybe it plays a part that Caroline flew in?

Of course it's a non event, the players are wearing shorts!

It's certainly a non event and as a very limited field probably means that the loathsome one will win.

kwinigolfer wrote:I'd be 100% in favour of McGinley for Gleneagles - he's been publicly groomed for the job with his Seve Trophy roles and RC Vice Captaincies. Be a big snub if he were to be passed over.

If they can snub an all time European great like Sandy Lyle I doubt they will be overly worried about upsetting a relative tour no mark like McGinley.

I'm really glad they snubbed Lyle. The guy is a clown.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/10/10/sports/golf/ap-glf-woods-european-tour.html?ref=golf

I assume this is some BS from Woods, so that he does not have to offend the European tour after being forced to comment on it. I don’t see any reason why he would join the European tour?

Would appear so Mac.

Mac,
I wonder if TW is planning to gain more "releases" from the PGA Tour to enable him to play pretty much where the hell he likes?
If he claims the European Tour as his "home" tour, he might just be able to do that, in theory at least.
It would be a good way for him to play more events where his appearance fee would be in the millions - there's never been the feeling that he and the PGA Tour are consistently on the same page, and he may see this as a way to achieve a degree of free agency.



Don't see any relevance to Lyle not getting the RC Captaincy and Paul McGinley's credentials . . . . . .

4 majors, 4 WGC, PC, RC + 3 of AbuDhabi, Dubai, Turkey, and maybe the new multimillion dollar Saffer tourney. Then you're there anyway.

Its not rocket science Kwini. If they snubbed Lyle why would they care about snubbing McGinley, nobody outside the world of golf fans even knows who the guy is. Its not about anyones credentials, Lyles or McGinleys. Its about them making controversial picks for captains, or in Lyles case not picking him.
Can you imagine the huge furore there would be if they never picked McGonley...no, I cant either, because there wouldnt be one.

4 majors
4 wgc
1 PC/RC(aternate years)

That is 9 without playing a regular Euro tour event. But pedro do you really see tiger playing 4 times in regular Euro tour events over the year.

I agree we could easily add a desert swing event as he normally plays one but where else does it fit into his schedule?

So at the moment he has 10 events.

He has played in OWGR counting events 20 times this year in what must be considered a normal to heavy schedule for him.

He started in the Abu Dhabi event and then played at least ever other week until the Masters. He then had a 4 week break until the wells fargo. So assuming he will not make his schedule in the run up to the masters any heavier it means he will miss the chance to add another middle eastern event early season. And we know the European tour is very weak between the Masters and US open. So even with that gap to the wells fargo there is nothing to fill it on the European tour. His only chance might be to play the BMW pga the week before memorial.

From that point on the summer is hectic and the only chance might be to drop the greenbier for the Scottish open, but not sure that will ever happen.

So lets add it up now

4 wgc
4 majors
1 middle east
1 Bmw pga
1 RC/PC
1 dubia world tour championship(if that event counts)

That is 12 and he had to drop a PGAT just to get that number. I just don’t see it happening.

I think we've been over this before. It might have been the case in the past that a golfers career made them an automatic choice for RC Captaincy as if it was some sort of right of passage, now it's more a case of best person for the job.
Lyle missed the boat.

Mac, does a RC/PC count? I don't think so.

SR, if thats the case how come both sides still only pick major winners or greats on their tours ? There is no evidence to suggest they dont pick based on career achievements, they snubbed Lyle but simply replaced him with another big name each time.
If someone like McGinley gets picked next time yo uwill have a point, if its Clarke...which it will be...then you are wrong.

Digs,
I agree that Lyle got stiffed and have offered some possible explanations in the past.
Having said that, he was hardly invested in the ET for the last dozen years of his career, hadn't played RC since 1987 and had not been involved in captaincy roles to anything like the extent that McGinley has.

Others might disparage Lyle's character/personality but I try not to, a genius of a player and seems a decent enough bloke. But I think circumstances conspired to cause him to miss out. (In the US Larry Nelson and Hale Irwin were similarly overlooked for no apparent good reason.)
Unfortunate, but it shouldn't disqualify others.

Bernhard Gallacher, Mark James and Monty weren't major winners.

Hal Sutton was a journeyman with a fluke major.

In future i'm sure someone like Harrington might be considered but if he's up against a Ryder Cup great like Poulter/Donald/Garcia or Westwood he probably won't have a chance and he can't really have a complaint.

Can someone please remind me when the new South Africa WGC comes on-stream? Was the idea that it becomes a 5th WGC event, or will one of the other ones be dropped?

Super

The point of the article is that the RC/PC is likely to become a counting event for the European tour. So Tiger was asked if that will make him consider joining the ET. I am still not sure, as I detailed above, that he will be able to double dip.

Of course he won't Mac, he's just being his usual mealy mouthed dreary self.

I'd have preferred if he'd just laughed and asked if they were joking.

Super

As kwini points out, it might make a lot of sense for him to join if he can work out a schedule. I certainly think kwini makes a good case for tiger to at least try and join the ET, if sadly only for the benefit of his bank balance.

Gallacher and James were donkeys years ago, I was clearly wrong when It hinght we were talking about the events of this century. Much as I cant stand Monty he is clearly a European and RC great and would have provoked huge controvery had he not been selected.
So back to my point....would there be any huge controversy if McGinley wasnt selected even if he is probably the best pick. No, because in the grand scheme of things he is a nobody.

I'd be very surprised Mac unless he's taking a big back hander from someone to do so in a thinly veiled attempt to increase the profile of the dwindling tour.

Does he need the money? If hes got 250 million, will having 270 really make any difference?

No, there wouldn't be a controversy, but then I don't think there would/or should be a controversy if Harrington (the modern day Lyle if you like) didn't get an RC Captaincy either and nor should there be.

Agreed?

No I dont agree as I do think it should be awarded to people who have achieved something in the game.
And even if you are right and there shouldnt be any controversy if paddy was never picked you are most certainly wrong that their wouldnt be any controversy because there would be as it would be a newsworthy story.
For a start all of Ireland would be enraged, whereas they wouldnt be if McGinley didnt get a pick.

Meanwhile, no candidates for immediate Ryder Cup Captaincy on the CordeValle practice range. A bit parky this morning with a little overnight rain and the possibility of further showers. Temps only in the low/mid sixties for Rounds 1 and 2 but should clear out and warm up for the weekend.

Alex Cejka opens the Fry's batting and he could use a big payday or it will be next stop Stage 2 Q-School for him.

Future Presidents Cup Captain Ernie Els under way at 7.40 a.m. Pacific time.

Times change though Diggers, and while it might have been a right of passage in the past I think Captains might require a bit more these days, i.e. a Ryder Cup pedigree and Harrington is bang average/poor, McGinley's is too but still better than Harringtons.

Parochial flag waving is always going to happen amongst small thinking nations, but I still don't think Harrington deserves it simply because he won three majors in a different format over someone who has spent years preparing himself for the job and gaining experience.
McGinley would be the logical, if not popular choice among tatty munchers.

But you have no proof times have changed, thats my point. in fact of anything the list of past European captains shows the trend is quite the reverse. Nobody like Gallagher has had a sniff since torrance, the past 5 have all been huge names in European golf.
You may have a point that times should change but you have absoloutly no basis whatsoever for saying that they have.

Well you've said it yourself with Torrance. That was probably Lyles time, but was overlooked.
Coincidently we've had a glut of major winners, reaching captains age around that time with Langer, Faldo, Olazabal, Woosie etc, but if things stay the same, they are hardly going to go back to Lyle rather than pick a Clarke/McGinley/Westwood etc.

By the way, I didn't say times have changed, I said times change and I think people are looking for a bit more in a Captain, perhaps why Lyle was overlooked because by all accounts he's a halfwit.