PGA Tour: Shoot Out at River Highlands aka "The Travelers": Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).One over par winning a Golf Tournament? Pah! Not this week it won't, doubt if it'll even make the cut at the classically designed TPC River Highlands pitch-and-putt just south of Hartford, Connecticut. No, this week's "Travelers Championship" has just what the touring pros want to see, a short course with generous fairways, receptive and relatively flat greens, eagles and birds a-plenty.

2).But that's for this week, what about last week?
Short story: Classic course which looked fabulous, despite one or two slightly eccentric holes and some very dodgy tee- and pin-placements by the USGA.
For the second Major running, it was the golfer who played best tee to green who won the day, and two views of that from respected players:
Luke Donald:
"I think Adam and Justin have similar games. They're very good tee to green. Occasionally their Achilles heel is the short game and the putting. Sometimes great ball-striking can trump that, even at a US Open." (Especially "at a US Open"?)

And, from Joe Ogilvie (perhaps a journeyman Tour Player but odds on to be Tour Commish one day):
"The two best swings in golf have won the last two Majors." (Some South Africans may quibble with that assessment, but indicative of the esteem with which Justin Rose's golf game is held.)

3).Why wasn't the scoring better at Merion?
Some thoughts as one has seldom seen more misjudgements in approach shots, more short (inside four feet) putts missed.
Did we underestimate the variations in elevation at Merion, as it seemed almost every shot was uphill or downhill? Were players trying to be too perfect in their short-range approaches??
And: Were players trying too hard to follow a poor shot with a great shot instead of, as Andy North reminds listeners every event he covers, "taking their medicine"? Perhaps, especially in Rounds 1 and 2 when high numbers abounded, golfers really believed the course was the pushover the pundits had predicted and felt they couldn't afford a bogey??
I've never seen the hole look so small and the world's best look so tentative on the greens. Donald and Mickelson are fabulous putters but they missed more tiddlers at Merion than they normally would in a season.

4).And what of arguably the "Best Player Not To Win A Major" in the last five years, Tiger Woods?
He'll surely blame his 128 putts but, especially given his mostly stellar play off the tee, shouldn't he be looking at his approach shots, in particular his distance control? He really gave himself very few birdie chances and even holed at least two real snakes. Perhaps that elbow/wrist is really causing trouble and should we expect him to cry off Congressional next week? Wouldn't be surprised.

5).Amidst all the carnage, Hunter Mahan achieved the third-most accurate driving performance of the season so far, hitting 49 fairways in 56 attempts. Hunner was swinging the club as well as he was dressing badly, which is saying something. Despite the gormless facial hair, uncoordinated wardrobe and GolfBoys persona, I enjoy listening to Mahan, talks a lot of sense and seems to have a great relationship with caddie John Wood.

6).And why did all-swing, no-putt Justin Rose triumph? Can part of the answer can be found in a lengthening of his putter, a TaylorMade Spider Blade model? He used it first at the Memorial where he put himself in position to win only to lose so many short putts weak and pushed. Maybe it was brilliant course management that repeatedly put him in position to two putt at worst (although he managed four 3-putts in total). And he holed some long'uns also. Regardless, all credit to him for sussing that putting out.

7).A cynic would say that, if Mickelson played the final six holes of the 2010 Masters as poorly as he did Sunday at Merion, Lee Westwood would have a Masters green jacket.
What is indisputable is that Phil now has six US Open runner-up finishes, curiously considering he's a California Boy, all on East Coast courses, Pinehurst, Shinnecock, 2 x Bethpage, Winged Foot and now Merion. Good news for him is that next year's US Open is at Pinehurst. Bad news is that the next East(-ish) stop after that is 2016 at Oakmont where he has a 47th place finish and a missed cut. Then Shinnecock in 2018 when he'll be 48 and Winged Foot again in 2020. Last best chance perhaps wedged away.

8).Apart from the brilliant youngster from Japan, Hideki Matsuyama, the Top 14 finishers last week were all in the owgr Top 50 when play started, which presumably says that much of the cream rose to the top. 
That won't happen this week in Hartford where the weather will be terrific and the field is as good as one can remember. Not sure why exactly, but probably a sense of urgency from players anxious to secure position for FedEx Play-offs just a few weeks away.
A strong contingent of Americans (Bubba, Keegs, Webbgod, Hunner, Dufner, Rickie, Zach etc) will be there and a good crop of Europeans, led by Justin Rose, Westwood, Harrington (always justifiably popular here), Poulter, Gonzo and Colsaerts.
One attraction of Hartford is that it's a very easy walking course, and there is usually a fair number of young up-and-comers on hand as well as the stars. I'm hoping to see something of Patrick Reed for instance, Tringale, Jonas Blixt's travelling circus, and Sang-Moon Bae. As well as Gonzo and Colsaerts.

9)."Hartford" is a real horses-for-courses event, and Ryan Moore and Mahan have fine records here. It would suit an in-form Tim Clark (as it did last year) and Europeans Brian Davis and Freddie Jac have decent finishes here. Three years ago Justin Rose had the tournament in his pocket following his breakthrough win at Memorial. But he inexplicably collapsed only to rebound a week or so later at Aronomink's AT&T. How does that happen!

10).Finally, but it should really be first, Jarrod Lyle continues his recovery and you can read more about that in Larry Dorman's excellent piece:

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2013/06/18/finally-cancer-free--lyle-sets-timetable-to-return-to-tour-.html

Have said it before and will doubtless say it again, Jarrod Lyle comes across as one of the Tour's really good guys, as well as the funniest. Who knows if he'll ever recapture his form of early last year when it looked as if he'd finally found his feet? But if Lyle comes golfing at a course near you, do yourself a favour and go and follow him. You''ll be laughing within a shot or two.

Another decent round from Russell Knox - a top ten finish tomorrow would help his season a LOT!

While Harrington didn't get much out of his front nine - plenty of birdie opportunities on the back to redeem himself.

Rose on cruise control.

Bubba and Charlie Hoffman between them allowed a couple of dozen players back in to The Travelers, including Justin Rose and, at a bit of a stretch, Messrs Harrington, Davis and Knox, possibly even Poulter.

There are 63's out there and Hoffman and Hunter already have a 61 and 62 to prove it.

Lots to play for Sunday, on almost every level imaginable.

It looked quite windy out there? Will that continue tomorrow? Should keep scores up?

It looked quite windy out there? Will that continue tomorrow? Should keep scores up?

Hot and a bit breezy Sunday, pedro, probably a little windier as the day goes on. Chance of a shower later in the day.
The wind swirls a little there, was gusting quite a bit yesterday but didn't look too bad for Round 3.

If someone gets hot early tomorrow, I'd say a low 60-something is on the cards, but who's capable of it? Player with best record of streaky-low final rounds is Mahan and he's my fancy for Sunday.

Pathetic from Lee Westwood - looks like he 4-putted #3 for the second time this week after 3-putting #2 from 12 feet.
Edit: And another 3-putt from 20ft on #4. Time to call in the Stewards for a non-trier.
He's been receiving great support this week - it would be nice if he repaid some of it by making an effort.

CBS treating this week as a minor-league event too - third-stringers anchoring and no-one on the course. Merton Laverne Lundquist looks like a heart-attack waiting to happen, and proved yesterday he doesn't know the difference between putting and chipping.
He was terrible on local TV thirty years ago and has deteriorated since then.
They go overboard saying what a great event it is, which it really is, and disgrace themselves by filing the booth with amataeurs.

What's happening to Lee!? Looks like Billy Foster is going to earn more money than him this week... I bet Lee's missing him more than Billy misses Lee right now...

I'm only looking at PGATour.com's scoreboard, but Angel Cabrera seems to be ripping up the course.

Talked too soon. But Rickie.....

63 a nice round from El Pato.
His seven under par makes Westwood's tally of "strokes gained putting" at minus eight look even more abysmal. Hope he's ashamed of himself.

Almost as bad so far from Harrington as Westwood's insult was. Another decent start to a tournament thoroughly wasted. Better luck next week Padraig - he IS playing isn't he?

Poulter not doing much better, but at least Knox is showing the galacticos the way. Top Ten please Russell.

Opportunity Knox. Up to 8th; anything's possible now, surely?

Pathetic indeed from Harri.........................an odd choice playing agian this week with the trip back home for next week.................

Maybe someone suggested he take this week off made his mind up to play.................

John Cregan wrote:Pathetic indeed from Harri.........................an odd choice playing agian this week with the trip back home for next week.................

Maybe someone suggested he take this week off made his mind up to play.................

That's why this week's called "Travelers".....

Bubba's had a meltdown........

I'm hoping our 606 friend "roderickslyme" is following this . . . . .


I think Bubba will be wondering whether he was wise not to have a splash at that ball in the drink in front of #16 . . . . . . .

Why didn't Jesus make his ball walk on the water to the green?

Fun to watch a long time grinder win this event - good for Mr. Duke.

Even in a "down week" it was a heck of a field.