European Tour - BMW PGA Championship

They should've called it the KFC PGA Championship this year... Yesterday the anchoring ban, today is the fried chicken saga, plus the McIlroy-Horizon/GMac stuff, no one seems to care that there is a big golf tournament going on this week at Wentworth... And on top of that, some of the top ET golfers don't seem to care either: Oosthuizen, Schawartzel, Hanson, Stenson, Harrington, all gone by the way side...

Hoping for some good golf from tomorrow anyway and hopefully that will get people interested again...

I suspect Sergio wishes he continued his boycott of UK regular golf tournaments.

Is McDowell part of the Mcilroy issue or is there another issue!?

Rory: “We've got an unbelievable field - I think this is one of the better ones we've had for quite some time, so it’s very exciting.”

Quite the reverse, it's one of the weakest I remember... worth only 54 points in real owgr terms at the moment.

sb - GMac sort of got himself in the middle of it all confirming to the media while in Bulgaria that this was indeed happening, etc. According to the Indo, when they asked Rory if he was annoyed that Graeme spoke out about the whole thing, Rory apparently answered: "Ask G-Mac. He knows more than me...." and that of course was enough for the 'clowns' (as he calls them lately ) to make all sorts of speculations about their relationship...

He tried to fix all that perception in his latest presser this afternoon:

“I spoke to Graeme yesterday afternoon. We got back to the hotel and we just had a chat. Everything’s good. So there won’t be any quid pro quo at the wrong time the next few days or any of that stuff"

A great shame that once again American golfers stay away in their droves; perhaps no appearance fees this week?

Disappointing that Adam Scott doesn't play this event as well.

I think this is my favourite tournament of the year.

Can the American players be really blamed though, to travel over to England for one week, when the US Open is only a few weeks away or is that crazy from my viewpoint considering the amount players travel these days.

If you pitch up in a BM then its free parking on site apparently.
Always a good Tv spectacle but I wish they hadn't messed with the course in particular the 18th its a dog breakfast now - ernie are you listening?

certainly seems like there's an undercurrent to this Horizon story. Rory, said more in his "non- comment" than if he had actually given a boring Tiger-esque answer. he couldn't help himself though, at the end of the interview saying," it will all come out eventually" or something to that effect.

Looks like I made an inspired move last night with my FT picks... Took Paul Lawrie out and brought Matteo in... hope I won't jinx him now...

Rors continues with his inconsistancy.... maybe playing alongside GMac is not as conforting as it used to be...?

princedracula wrote:...brought Matteo in... hope I won't jinx him now...

Steady par-par start for Sergio, playing alongside Gonzo should be good for him today...

Not sure what's happening with Olesen, gone off the boil a bit lately...

Rory, Gmac and Rose all with very poor finishes...

Another one spooked
Better keep my mouth shut...

princedracula wrote:
Rory, Gmac and Rose all with very poor finishes...

Yep, very poor for the three.

Man... WHAT is up with Rory? I would think it's not so much the equipment at this point... is it? Or is it all the distractions... I just don't know. Shame that all that wonderful momentum from last year is entirely gone. Rory still looks like a guy with a the potential for an incredible career... but now it's looking like just that... potential, instead of the confidence I might have had in him coming into this year. Granted... this isn't looking exactly David Duvall-ish... but it's getting more than a bit concerning as it continues.

princedracula wrote:...Rory, Gmac and Rose all with very poor finishes...

And the award for Understatement of the Year goes to .. PD

McIroy's in particular was a shocker.

Anyone attending this year?

I'm going on Saturday.

Enjoy and send us some notes, Sky! May end up going on Sunday, but not to Wentworth... I'll tell you where if/when I get there...

C'mon Sergioooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

Afternoon all. Watching it on TV this year, thought I'd drop in on v2. Poor finish from Justin this morning, I presume he got wet? Will never know why players go for it in 2 there when they have a decent score going. Lay up and it's still a chance of a birdie! Good to see Oliver Fisher in with a good round.
Enjoying the Donald, Garcia, Castano group.

Afternoon gw,
How ya doin'?

No GB at Wentworth this year, and a football season to forget for the Old Gold and Boys In Blue

Great to hear from you - get down there and sort Lukey out will you?

Play currently suspended for threat of lightning in the area. I work in Bracknell only about 5 miles down the road from Wentworth it does look pretty evil out there right now. Forecast for tomorrow not that good either, but the weekend looks better

Hi Kwini, how's you? I'm good, obviously thoroughly depressed after this season at Molineux....still we have a great new stand for League 1!! Some serious errors with the Managers, thought I thought Saunders would be ok, but a big gamble no doubt. Hasn't really felt like my club since Mick left.

Nope GB has been on a big downward spiral over the past 2 years. I've found myself raising my eyebrows a lot when I hear of his schedule and other things, and I wish I could say to him that he needs to learn to walk before he can run. All these other guys will play every event they can to try and bank those extra few euros that might make all the difference, I don't see that hunger in him. Not that I've seen anyone at The Edge as no longer a member, haven't hit a ball for about 18 months now.

Sheesh.... WHAT is up with Luke Donald? I thought there were signs of him rounding into some decent form and this week would serve him well (enough so I had him on one of my fantasy teams). But this is just a total collapse... maybe one of, if not the worst defenses in this event ever?

Course maybe I shouldn't judge too soon... I mean nothing a little 28 or 29 on the back side couldn't fix... right?

Poulter not much better, looks like extending his streak of relative futility after 18 months without missing a cut.

Poor show by both - can't wait to read IJP's tweets on the subject.

Anyone know why Chris Wood withdrew?

kwinigolfer wrote:Poulter not much better, looks like extending his streak of relative futility after 18 months without missing a cut.

Poor show by both - can't wait to read IJP's tweets on the subject.

Yep... Poulter's comments should be entertaining. And as for Luke... as I've said earlier, I don't see it likely he'll reach his past heights again... more likely to settle in somewhere from maybe #25 to lower or just outside top-10 territory. But still, for obvious reasons I thought this would be a venue where he would play well. But then again, conditions this week are "uncomfortable" to say the least... maybe that's all it is.

Cast an eye over on the Challenge Tour guys, Former Golden Boy Nick Dougherty can't get much lower. Dead last and 6 over after 6 holes (+11 overall) and has called it a day.

The prime example of trying to fix something that ain't broke. Swing change after swing change.

I wonder if we are looking at Rory in another 10 years? He needs to get his head out of his @rse and concentrate on golf for a bit.

I think Mr Dougherty has Mrs Dougherty on his mind. Not all is bad with the world.

Still, at least one of them made Wentworth

Kwini

It looks like Chris has pulled out due to his back injury again. He has just tweeted that he is waiting for a scan. He has already missed 7 weeks. Gutted for the lad.

Sorry to hear that about Wood; it looked from 3,000 miles away as if he was on the threshhold of something special.
Not looking good for Merion, then.

8 deg Celsius, 30 km/hr winds, light rain in late May.

I just can't understand why top Americans stay away from this tournament.

Baffling!

Hi Pd, thanks for the notes. Turned on the US golf last night and was disappointed to see Schwartzel there. And another big name missing from the PGA is a former champ Angel Cabrera! Some question the logistics of coming over to Wentworth a few weeks before the US Open but a trans atlantic flight is nothing to these boys. Good to see Peter You-line still here however. Future star I reckon.

GPB, heaven forbid a professional golfer playing in tough weather conditions eh?

Top Europeans certainly turned up to play in the Arizona snow . . . . . . . .

Lairdy wrote:GPB, heaven forbid a professional golfer playing in tough weather conditions eh?

There is a 6.4 million dollar tournament this week in Texas (Sunny and 90 deg f). 2 hour flight away for most of the US Pros

versus a tournament in England with possible (probable?) sketchy weather, with a lower purse, ridiculous tax implications (in recent years) and a trans-atlantic flight and requiring a precious release from the PGAT to play

The only competitive advantage for an American pro is some additional ranking points.

edit:

Kwini wrote:Top Europeans certainly turned up to play in the Arizona snow

I believe that tournament is played in February and it is on the European Tour Schedule.

Off to google

Yep I was right.

GPB wrote:8 deg Celsius, 30 km/hr winds, light rain in late May.

I just can't understand why top Americans stay away from this tournament.

Baffling!

From watching this event in the past I think it fair to point out this weather seems, at the least, a bit "unusual" for this time of year. Maybe some of you Brits can comment on that? But IMO it's simply a matter of logistics and priorities. If full time PGAT players are going to play Euro events, it wouldn't be this time of year. Not with 3 pretty big May events and prep for the U.S. Open in full swing. Besides, my understanding is Merion has been quite busy this week and last with guys getting in "first looks" at the venue.

GPB wrote:
There is a 6.4 million dollar tournament this week in Texas (Sunny and 90 deg f). 2 hour flight away for most of the US Pros versus a tournament in England with possible (probable?) sketchy weather, with a lower purse, ridiculous tax implications (in recent years) and a trans-atlantic flight and requiring a precious release from the PGAT to play

Can somebody speak to the TAX situation for sporting events these days. I thought I saw a comment on this board (maybe in the Sergio thread?) about some relaxation of tax laws for visiting sportsman? I know they did that for the Olympics... but has that been extended for events like this? Anybody know?

Webb Simpson exchanged tweets last year with Luke Donald about how great Wentworth looked, and Luke said he should come play this year. Wonder if he seriously considered it.

Other than Americans generally not liking overseas travel much, I wouldn't be surprised if the local tax rules (regarding endorsement income) were a big turn-off for the marquee players with reasonable sponsorship deals. On a related matter, I wonder what they did to twist Sergio's arm this year - I assume a large part of it was pressure to complete the entire European Ryder Cup line up.


... and yes, the weather is unusually bad for this time of year. I recall being burnt to a crisp when I went for a day last year.

robopz wrote:
From watching this event in the past I think it fair to point out this weather seems, at the least, a bit "unusual" for this time of year. Maybe some of you Brits can comment on that?

I think it is safe to assume that 6" snow in Tucson in Feb is "a bit 'unusual' ".

robopz wrote:

GPB wrote:
There is a 6.4 million dollar tournament this week in Texas (Sunny and 90 deg f). 2 hour flight away for most of the US Pros versus a tournament in England with possible (probable?) sketchy weather, with a lower purse, ridiculous tax implications (in recent years) and a trans-atlantic flight and requiring a precious release from the PGAT to play

Can somebody speak to the TAX situation for sporting events these days. I thought I saw a comment on this board (maybe in the Sergio thread?) about some relaxation of tax laws for visiting sportsman? I know they did that for the Olympics... but has that been extended for events like this? Anybody know?

No, there hasn't been a general exemption. There is pressure on the government to do something about it, but as far as I'm aware, they're only willing to pass laws exempting specific world-class events.

In the meantime, the fact that they have done so for e.g. Champions League final and Olympics has also resulted in other groups (musicians specifically) saying "hold on, what about us?".

Our friend MustPuttBetter is a bit of an expert in this area if I recall - good to see him back, but perhaps he could comment properly?

Baffled? It's what separates the men from the boys, GPB.
Keep yourself safe from those nasty tornadoes...

It's p1ssing horrible, no doubt about it... and robo's right, this is quite unusual even for these parts...
I bet the ET would wish they could wipe it all out and move back in time a few days and have a fresh start...

Cutline just dropped to +2 and would be surprised to see it going back.
Who was saying that Franny's overrated, great to see him back at his best, hopefully it'll last for a while...

Average high temp in London approx 67F for today, and London has half the average annual precip of most Major American cities.

As it is, weather in London today very similar to here in the North Country, except it's a little bit cooler and a lot wetter here!

PS: If BVP can do it, I'm sure the rest of the US guys can; but agree with robo that this date is, well, outdated if it's expected to remain a world-class tournament.

princedracula wrote:Baffled? It's what separates the men from the boys, GPB.

Yep, that is why we scheduled our golf trip each winter to Florida or Texas rather than Chicago.

Given a choice, I don't know too many sane people who would rather play in cold, windy, rainy conditions versus warm and sunny conditions.

The trouble with ideal weather is that every man, woman and dog seems to want to play golf.

I'm happy enough playing in cold conditions seeing as the courses become noticeably quieter, but even moderate rain is enough to put me off...

Agree with Sky there, quite like it playing in our perenial drizzle, scores are a bit more decent as well...

There's something seriously wrong with Rhys Davis, inside top 5 for the second week in a row...

They way I see it is that both a 2 hour flight or a 9 hour flight are still a day spent in airports and flying etc. ok 1 day is longer than the other but it can still takes a days travel by the time you add up 2 hours before flight, then go to make your way to hotels or whatever at the other end. These guys wont be slumming it plus prize money shouldnt be that high on the top pros priorities. The prestige of the PGA should be enough to tempt any golfer with a hint of a worldy view. Tbh I think a few of the US tour pros would be like Bubba - outside a few typical destinations the majority will be scared to travel too far from the US. Remember that time Bubba had the terrifying experience of playing in France?

Lairdy wrote:They way I see it is that both a 2 hour flight or a 9 hour flight are still a day spent in airports and flying etc. ok 1 day is longer than the other but it can still takes a days travel by the time you add up 2 hours before flight, then go to make your way to hotels or whatever at the other end. These guys wont be slumming it plus prize money shouldnt be that high on the top pros priorities. The prestige of the PGA should be enough to tempt any golfer with a hint of a worldy view. Tbh I think a few of the US tour pros would be like Bubba - outside a few typical destinations the majority will be scared to travel too far from the US. Remember that time Bubba had the terrifying experience of playing in France?

Yes, because a player going to Wentworth won't have to check into hotels or whatever at the other end.

No matter how you spin it. 2 hours is 7 hours less than 9 hours. And you got to multiply that by two, because it is a round trip. A guy in Florida playing Colonial is going to be home on Sunday night

The BMW PGA is prestigious? OK, whatever

And the Bubba example in France? Another How long are the Euros going to cite that isolated example? There can be much chicken on that bone.

Pros and Cons of BMW PGA vs Colonial?

There is only one reason to play the BMW PGA over the Colonial for an American pro. And that is the subsidized OWGR points.

Colonial has a bigger purse, better weather, less tax consequences, less travel time, less expenses, less travel hassles. IMO, Much Better food, Better looking women (in less clothing).

Lairdy wrote:They way I see it is that both a 2 hour flight or a 9 hour flight are still a day spent in airports and flying etc. ok 1 day is longer than the other but it can still takes a days travel by the time you add up 2 hours before flight, then go to make your way to hotels or whatever at the other end. These guys wont be slumming it plus prize money shouldnt be that high on the top pros priorities. The prestige of the PGA should be enough to tempt any golfer with a hint of a worldy view. Tbh I think a few of the US tour pros would be like Bubba - outside a few typical destinations the majority will be scared to travel too far from the US. Remember that time Bubba had the terrifying experience of playing in France?

Lairdy... spoken like a guy who hasn't experienced jet lag

Trust me, it's REAL and takes more toll on a body than it seems it should... especially traveling East... and even more especially for those that don't do it a lot and know how to deal with it. My wife has family in England and we go over yearly. I know what to expect, do all the right things... but it's still at least two days before I'm "right". I had a chance to listen in on Paul Casey talking about it a few years ago at a SHO media day... and he said the adjustment was brutal on him at first, taking him years to get accustomed... but once he did (especially how and when to sleep and how to hydrate) it was MUCH, MUCH easier.

Lairdy - Real simple ... these are professional golfers and the top priority in their chosen profession is to make a living; presumably as much money as possible.

Considerably LESS travel hassles for a US pro flying into Ft. Worth v London and then Surrey.

The Euro tour wants to attract more top American golfers? Once again, get off your wallet. These guys are hired guns.

GPB wrote:

Lairdy wrote:They way I see it is that both a 2 hour flight or a 9 hour flight are still a day spent in airports and flying etc. ok 1 day is longer than the other but it can still takes a days travel by the time you add up 2 hours before flight, then go to make your way to hotels or whatever at the other end. These guys wont be slumming it plus prize money shouldnt be that high on the top pros priorities. The prestige of the PGA should be enough to tempt any golfer with a hint of a worldy view. Tbh I think a few of the US tour pros would be like Bubba - outside a few typical destinations the majority will be scared to travel too far from the US. Remember that time Bubba had the terrifying experience of playing in France?

Yes, because a player going to Wentworth won't have to check into hotels or whatever at the other end.

No matter how you spin it. 2 hours is 7 hours less than 9 hours. And you got to multiply that by two, because it is a round trip. A guy in Florida playing Colonial is going to be home on Sunday night

The BMW PGA is prestigious? OK, whatever




And the Bubba example in France? Another How long are the Euros going to cite that isolated example? There can be much chicken on that bone.

Pros and Cons of BMW PGA vs Colonial?

There is only one reason to play the BMW PGA over the Colonial for an American pro. And that is the subsidized OWGR points.

Colonial has a bigger purse, better weather, less tax consequences, less travel time, less expenses, less travel hassles. IMO, Much Better food, Better looking women (in less clothing).

They also might find it hard to find a fundamentalist church in Europe.

OK anybody... WHO is Eddie Pepperell... ?

So when Poultry said last week he was going to step up and go to Wentworth what he actually meant was he was going to go to Wentworth and miss the cut.