PGA Tour: A Tale Of Two Trumps: Notes from the Ballwasher

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1).If you don't much care for self-obsessed blowhards with silly hair-dos who make you want to hurl a club at your TV, this week is not for you. (Shut up Johnny Miller, I'm not talking about you.)
Yup, this is the week where everything good in golf is Trumped, not just the WGC-Cadillac Championship staged at Trump-owned Doral. But also the Puerto Rico Open, being played at Trump International G.C.

2).Trump has plans to "blow up" Doral's famous "Blue Monster", originally designed by Dick Wilson and subsequently tweaked by half a dozen cosmetic face-lifters. Now Trump wants "a brand new, incredible course".
'Course he does, so he's hired Gil Hanse to do the job and, by next year, the course famous for sand and water will have sand and water, water everywhere. But Trump has been trumped and Gil Hanse is preoccupied with trying to design a course for the Rio Olympics so one of his henchmen will be driving the tractor. Great start Trump.

3).Two golf pros who had no plans to play at Doral this week are Michael Thompson, whose college golf career teed off at Tulane University until Hurricane Katrina caused Tulane to cancel its golf programme, and Geoff Ogilvy, a dial-a-quote favourite of journalists whose golf game has been in a shambles these past few years.

I compete in a one-and-done fantasy game and have been in a terrible trot of form just recently. And this week's results help to explain why.
1st: Michael Thompson finished runner up in last year's US Open, then promptly disappeared. 2013 record: cut, T78, cut, cut, WON.

2nd: Geoff Ogilvy, of whom I'm a great admirer. Until recently. No US top tens since finishing 3rd in the 2011 BMW eighteen months ago, and his 2013 record just a shade better than Thompson's: T27, cut, cut, cut, cut, 2nd. Now he's just one decent finish away from a Masters invite on a course (one of many?) which you'd think he's under-performed on.

My pick: Camilo Villegas: From the penthouse with a Round 1 64, to the outhouse, Round 2 77 and a missed cut. He's playing in Puerto Rico and hopefully he'll figure out where it all went wrong.

4).Meanwhile, the US Press has been trumpetting the 11 consecutive wins by US players. I wonder if they've also noticed that an anchored putter hasn't reached the winner's enclosure since Furyk gave Keegan Bradley an early Christmas present seven months ago at Bridgestone, 19 events, plus the Ryder Cup of course?

5).Somewhat more surprising is the rat-a-tat-tat of notes about Matt Kuchar having the Tour high of 32 top tens since the start of the 2010 season, three ahead of Luke Donald's 29. Both with 3 wins, Kuchar having played 19 more Tour events than Donald in this time. (And Donald, of course, up two Ryder Cups to nil ) Interesting though.

6).On a weekend where several American Young Ones made a splash - not just Luke Guthrie at Honda, but winner Cantlay (20) and 4th place Jordan Spieth (19) in Columbia on the web.com Tour - it is worth noting some big names outside the FedEx Top 125 as the season is approx 30% complete.
Examples of those who I imagine have exhausted their exemptions, can't be 100% on that,:
129th: Ben Crane (glacially slow except on those godawful videos).
135th: Fatty Marino, playing out his medical exemption.
136th: Immelman
151st: Brian Davis
162nd: Martin Laird
175th: JB Holmes (not quite so slow since his brain surgery)
181st: Appleby
188th: Ishikawa
Others like Allenby, Chad Campbell, Weir and Sabbatini are also struggling big time, but with one Get-Out-Of-Jail card up their sleeves.

7).Easy to complain about the young golfers in the post-Vijay, Davis, Ernie, Phil, Tiger, even Duval era being under-performers, but they are!
Top tens (like Kooch and Luuuuke) by the bucket load, but wins very thin on the ground. Let's update the Tour win totals of the Under 35's:
8 wins: Scott (34), Garcia (33)
7: Dustin Johnson (28)
6: McIlroy (23)
5: Kuchar (34), Donald (34), Sneds (32), Watney (31), Hunner (30)
4: Bubba (34), Rose (32), Haas (30), O'Hair (30).

8).So, Doral this week, more grainy Bermuda greens and a bomber's paradise. No idea who might win, though perhaps South Africa can redeem itself from a dismal MatchPlay effort. Unwise to count Ogilvy out if he's in the mood; he's won here and the field is just his size!
Of the European invasion there's one contestant who's driven down the coast with excellent, unsung credentials. Led the Honda field last week in greens in regulation and "proximity to the pin", and finished fourth here in 2012. And that man is Peter Hanson, surely worth a couple of bob each way?

9).Tiger was carted off here last year and Rory obviously walked off last week, and they're playing together Thursday, with Luke Donald joining them. Justin Rose defends his title, and we wonder whether his career will kick on, or is he destined to be another one-win-a-year merchant, never quite reaching the heights.
Weather should be fine and the course playing relatively firm and fast. No rain in the forecast and there'll be low scores in Rounds 1 and 2, but beware the possibility of stronger winds by the weekend.

10).And so to Puerto Rico where Shane Lowry will make a very welcome return to action. There's a pretty decent field, all things considered, including Europeans Casey (dreadful finish last week), Christian, Davis, Karlsson, Knox, Norlander and Stenson. Old lags whose brilliant future is well behind them help pad out the field, Allenby, Ames, Campbell, Jerry Kelly, Leonard, Sabbatini and Weekley but the theoretical class of the field among the veterans should be KJ Choi and YE Yang.
Shane will have the really Young Ones to contend with, Cantlay, Guthrie, Kohles, Spieth, Ishikawa and this will be good competition for him as he assesses his game in PGA Tour events. He's told pgatour.com that he plans to try for as many sponsor invites as he can get as he intends to stay here into May in his quest for Special Temporary Membership. He made plenty of friends at the MatchPlay and good luck to him in his efforts to achieve PGA Tour status.

PS: Please, pgatour.com, get your act together for the "live scoring". Or fire those CDW people and hire europeantour.com for the job.

Love/Glory Hunting or Intolerable Sycophancy Diggers?

I think people have been acknowledging a very impressive and fine win for Baldy Nine Chins, but I have seen no evidence that anyone has any renewed like for the games biggest tw@t.

Or perhaps people just like seeing golf performed excellently by someone they consider to be one of the all time excellent golfers.
And it also means that when (rather than if) Rory gets back to full form we should have a briliant rivalry. Really bar Mickleson who is too inconsistent everyone else just isn't in the same league.

Which is exactly what I said Diggers.

McLaren wrote:What is it with the bbc and golf?

""I played well this week," said Woods, who carded a one-over-par round of 72 to finish on 19 under."

from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/21737605


How long before it is changed to -1, 71?

It has now been fixed. I doubt they would print the wrong score for an EPL match, so why apply such low standards to golf?

They have printed incorrect EPL scores occasionaly

Lets give them a break, they are constantly updating that site and cover alot of stuff. Its just human error..

Mac, The BBC Golf website is truly wretched isn't it? Very out of date and frequently wrong.
Considering the investment they have in Football it's outrageous that they are frequently more than 24 hours out of touch with the latest information.

Surely all it would take would be one dedicated staff member to work on the site rather than just a disinterested intern putting in what he/she "thinks" is right.

Stop whinging, The site is decent

Oakey, Do you not remember how it used to be?
It used to be the first call for golf info, and from one of the worlds premier media outlets you'd expect it to be better, especially as we directly pay for it.

I don't pay my licence for it to be out of date and incorrect.

It's a legitimate whinge.

Super, might i suggest you try the rte.ie website. Accurate, up to date, a class act all the way

Will they let an Irishphobe like me on it?

super_realist wrote:Will they let an Irishphobe like me on it?

of course, but instead of 'england' you must say 'them across the water'

Mysti - Don't read too much into one tournament ... your odds are still pretty good. First Englishman breakthrough in a major?

Merion was made for Donald. As long as he can keep his driver in play, he'll throw darts at those pins as well or better than anyone.

And we all know he can putt.

How about FIGJAM missing those 3 footers again? Just classic.

Shotrock wrote:...
How about FIGJAM missing those 3 footers again? Just classic.

Nothing compared to Jamie Donaldson

super_realist wrote:Oakey, Do you not remember how it used to be?
It used to be the first call for golf info, and from one of the worlds premier media outlets you'd expect it to be better, especially as we directly pay for it.

I don't pay my licence for it to be out of date and incorrect.

It's a legitimate whinge.

Soz sups. I misread what you said!! I took it as the whole of the BBC..

Loved the running commentary chaps, chappesses,

Interesting stat's from pgatour.com showing how Tiger won Doral on the greens, just a couple of headlines down from "Woods' swing carrying him in '13." Well, it's got to be one or the other, but have a butcher's at this lot:

http://www.pgatour.com/tourreport/2013/03/11/tiger-s-putting-stats-from-cadillac.html

Probably some of the easier greens to putt on the Tour if you're familiar with them and putt halfway decent (hate that phrase) on Bermuda. Wouldn't be surprised to see more of the same in ten days' time at Bay Hill.

Disappointing final finishes from the Europeans in Puerto Rico and at the Chilean web.com event.

European golf taking an early (American) season kip by the looks of it.

Please tell me I am not the only person who would feel like chomping down on the barrel of a gun if i were to end up living in such a naff house in the middle of a gated community in Florida? Can anyone think of a more vacuous existence?

http://www.golfchannel.com/media/lee-westwood-on-feherty/?cid=twitter_P_gc_feherty_westwood#1

Not many crofts in Old Palm though are there?

My cup of tea (not that I've ever drunk the stuff) would be further north - would hate to be surrounded by golf and golfers. It's bad enough on here for chr1stssake!

s_r quote.
"but I really can't understand the liking for a golfer with whom you have no connection at all"

Or for that matter, "the disliking............etc."

So, you really can't uderstand yourself then? At least I'm with you on that one.

McLaren wrote:Please tell me I am not the only person who would feel like chomping down on the barrel of a gun if i were to end up living in such a naff house in the middle of a gated community in Florida? Can anyone think of a more vacuous existence?

http://www.golfchannel.com/media/lee-westwood-on-feherty/?cid=twitter_P_gc_feherty_westwood#1

Looks OK to me Mac. A more vacuous existence? Sitting around posting stuff on a golf forum all day?

For a sportsman Mac, and for being in the country of no taste America it doesn't look too bad. Certainly better than a tenement flat in Haymarket, wouldn't you say?

GT350, It's easy to dislike someone when they have no redeeming qualities, far harder to like someone.

Whilst it wouldn't be likely to be Floridia [sic], were I suitably successful in any particular field that was so lucrative I would absolutely enjoy the available trappings and would have a house built where I wanted and how I wanted.

With frecking bells on (not literally).

Raises a good point. Money no object, where would you all like to live?

I glossed over a piece in the latest edition of Golf World saying that a gazillionaire (whose name was not familiar / can't remember) has put up for sale a private island - which includes an airstrip, a few luxury residences and an 18 hole Nicklaus-designed golf course.

Probably wouln't want to live there permanently, but would make a nice second home.

I am happy enuff with were I am. BUt If money was no option I would have to check the world out and find a few other residencies...



I would definently keep a place in kent/sussex or east surrey though(not the overly stuck up west side!)

Somewhere like Bavaria would suit me, nice in summer and winter plus not many Brits

Gawd. Money no object I'd have a few bases I reckon but I've not travelled extensively for a sustained period of time to develop such an inkling.

Really liked Toronto (although most likely the surrounds rather than the City itself!).

Algarve for quality of sunny, summer golf courses

Amsterdam for fun

But, genuinely the quality of life in the Isle of Man is excellent so I'd probably stay here (although maybe Jersey for Island lifestyle + better weather).

Roller I go amsterdam and the algave alot!!

so yeah I would be happy to have a place in each!

Think I'd probably have to spend a lot of time in the Algarve to recover from the time in the Dam.

Too much culture and art takes it out of you.

I allways chill in Brugge or Leuven or somewhere else on the way back from the dam!

Only done Brussels (OK for a half day) and Rotterdam (OK for a boat trip) in the locale.

Erm... I've seen In Bruges, does that count.

mystiroakey wrote:I allways chill in Brugge or Leuven or somewhere else on the way back from the dam!

Somewhere where the beer is good. Belgium is near the top of that list.

I allways drive- I go 3 times a year for a work morale boost

Going next month.

Its really annoying that you cant go to coffee shops in other dutch towns anymore (need a dope permit!)

I love Den Haag , infact i prefer it to amsterdam, But if i am barred from creamers(best coffe shop in the world!) whats the point

Barred - jeez what did you do?

Sleep longer than the recommended 4 hours post dooby?

No I am not barred.

Well I am but everyone is(who isnt a resident!)

super_realist wrote:Raises a good point. Money no object, where would you all like to live?

Probably one of the nice houses that overlook the sea in Gullane.

Where to live in Florida? In a shack, by the water, Key West. Become a Bone Fishing guide. When demand slows down for the summer, move to the Adirondacks, hone my woodworking skills.

No interest in Florida, but might be attracted to the barrier islands between Charleston, in the north, and Jacksonville in the south; Kiawah, HHI, St.Simons, Sea Island, Jekyll etc.

Summer in Saratoga Springs with pieds a terre in San Francisco and Old Portsmouth. OK?

I'd move to siberia or alaska, get away from society.

McLaren wrote:

super_realist wrote:Raises a good point. Money no object, where would you all like to live?

Probably one of the nice houses that overlook the sea in Gullane.

Not very imaginative Mac. No wanderlust?

Too many places. Like a nice pad in Cornwall. Quite like the idea of a nice place on the edge of Kyoto. Somewhere on one of the lesser known Caribbean islands would be nice. Somewhere around Oban for sure. Somewhere near the Cloudy Bay vineyards in New Zealand....

Too many places and not enough money!

Amazing stuff those panel houses. Good innovation.

Kudos to Englishman David Skinns who "Monday Qualified" into this week's Tampa Bay tournament . . . . .