PGA Tour: "I Have A Dream"; Outside Boston?: Notes from the Ballwasher

1).Don't suppose Martin Luther King was thinking about golf fifty years ago today, and certainly not about the FedEx Play-Offs. My dream for this week was that Adam Scott was a really good bet for the "Deutsche Bank Championship". A week late and several dollars short on that one.

2).Last week just goes to show that, once in a while, it pays to play a solid final round, post the proverbial "number", and wait and see what happens. Sergio could do that at a Major, Westwood even. But one thing's certain and that is that Adam Scott is in the form of his life; especially given his excellent record at the lyrically named TPC Boston (like calling Liphook Golf Club TPC London for all the proximity to Boston) where he's won in 2003, finished 2nd, in 2004 and come 5th and 7th in his past three visits.

3).We also saw a fine young American talent, the Improvised Explosive Device known as Kevin Chappell. His round on Sunday was reminiscent of a similarly combustible performance by Billy Horschel at the McGladrey a few years ago. It would be surprising if Chappell doesn't go on to similar success to Horschel - a man to watch.

4).Jim Furyk played his 500th PGA Tournament a couple of weeks ago, which led me to wonder who else has reached that milestone.
Of this week's field, only Bob Estes (629), Jerry Kelly (536) and Justin Leonard (529) have teed it up more often than Furyk, though all look considerably younger of course.
Among other relatively active under-50's who have full status on Tour for 2013/2014, Davis Love has played 678 events, Maggert 594, Toms 551 and Austin 511, though Billy Mayfair (who played this year under Past Champion status) has 744 appearances.

5).The Deutsche Bank will start on Friday with the final round scheduled for Monday, Sept 2nd ("Labor Day" in the U.S.A.) and the field of 100 will be further reduced to 70 for the BMW Championship in Chicago in a fortnight. Among those fighting to stay "alive" are Europeans:
Jacobson: 61st
Laird: 63rd
Lingmerth: 64th
Poulter: 77th
Davis: 80th
Kaymer 90th.
Others in jeopardy include Tim Clark, KJ Choi and Marc Leishman, all striving for a Presidents Cup place; plus Els, Van Pelt and Villegas.
Luke Donald is not far from safety and I was surprised to read he's engaged Chuck Cook as swing coach, retaining Pat Goss for his short game. Apparently he sounded out Sean Foley for help first.

6).Nick Price's International Presidents Cup Team will find odds against them winning against the U.S., and Fred Couples has a very strong team. Certainties for selection are: Woods, Snedeker, Mickelson, Kuchar, Bradley, Haas, Dufner, Mahan, with Simpson in 9th currently, and Zach Johnson in 10th. That leaves Stricker, D.Johnson, Furyk, Watson and Horschel missing out unless they have a big week outside Boston.
Doubtless Freddie will feel that it's time for some changing of the US guard and I'd guess Horschel and Jordan Spieth will receive his Captain's picks when teams are announced next week.

7).As far as I can ascertain, only eight golfers have the chance to advance to the BMW Championship for the seventh time: Mickelson, Snedeker, Stricker, Mahan, Furyk, Watson, Els and (did you guess?) Charlie Hoffman.

8).Meanwhile, 129 golfers are dreaming of a PGA Tour card for 2013/2014 and compete this week in Indiana for Week One of a four-week mini-season known as the web.com Tour Finals.
The top 25 money winners (at least, of those who haven't already earned their "Card" via the web.com money list) from this series will earn cards, and include some good names like Chad Campbell, Sean O'Hair, Trevor Immelman, Robbie Karlsson and Bud Cauley.
Excuse me for raving for god knows how long about Russell Knox's credentials, but this represents a great chance for the man from Inverness to return to the "show". Of those European Tour members with the option of playing for his card, only Marcel Siem is in the field, with Ross Fisher apparently having decided to defer his PGA Tour ambitions.

9).And just to reinforce that the new season is almost upon us, "Pre-Qualifying Stage" begins today at two sites for Q-School, all hoping to earn a place on the . . . . . . . web.com Tour.

10).August 28th is the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and MLK's "I have a dream" speech. Wonder if the Jarrow March is commemorated with as much reverence. It bloody well should be.
But one of Newcastle's favourite sons has died, Dave Thomas, fittingly perhaps on the day before the European Tour's 2014 Ryder Cup qualifying season begins. Four-time Team member, co-designer of the Belfry's Brabazon Course, twice Open Championship runner-up and European Tour lifetime member.
By my count we've lost George Will (no, American readers, not that one), Bernard Hunt and now Dave Thomas, of whom Peter Alliss remembered:
"He was good company and over-indulged, certainly on good food and good wine. How he lived to be 79 is a miracle of the human spirit."
Hell of an epitaph, that!

kwinigolfer wrote:
10).August 28th is the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and MLK's "I have a dream" speech. Wonder if the Jarrow March is commemorated with as much reverence. It bloody well should be.  

I'm going to put my McLaren hat on here and question why a bunch of disgruntled Geordies with what would be called communist leanings, if the term had been invented at the time, should be remembered in the same way as MLK

Doctor King had a dream. The Jarrow marchers just had a massive chip on their collective shoulders as far as I'm concerned - not comparable

Tiger has confirmed he will play the Deutsche Bank.

Hi Davie,
Thought that might get a response!
Don't you think those guys had a dream? Or was it just Alan Price?? Epic march, disgruntled (and they surely had every right to be) or not.

On the more positive side it should be a lovely start to the weekend outside Boston weather-wise, perhaps storm clouds brewing Sunday and Monday.

Zach Johnson and Stricker back from their little breaks, and Hunter Mahan extending his streak as the only golfer to play every Play-Off tournament.

No doubt the Playoffs have brought some excitement to the Tour. Thanks for the warm-up kwini .

Don't know what Mac has to say about 10) but he could easily be offended on MLK's behalf. With that being said, MLK's speech became iconic because it's full of repetitions and catchy one-liners. And then it gave hope to many people. He even got the Nobel prize. But in reality not much has changed since. Who said Obama?

I would imagine the Jarrow march is definitely something worth remembering.  Not sure where MLK comes into that though?  It is not like you can only have one or the other.

What is for sure, is that I hope the thoughts of MLK are pounding in Obama's noggin right now.

And not those of "No doubt they used them" Joe Cheney.... I mean Dick Biden.

Mac, MLK once accepted an honorary degree from a University in the NE, not sure which one, hence the links with Newcastle and possibly a tenuious one to the Jarrow marches, even though it took place about 30 years prior.

Off the air for a few days - tickets for US Open Tennis Friday afternoon (Murray?) and Yanks vs Orioles on Saturday. Back on Monday!

Wasn't trying to compare the two marches, just saying both should be celebrated. Both iconic in their own way, more oratory at the end of one of course.

Looking forward to the web.com Tour Finals series - there'll be two weekends where this takes centre (US) stage, next week, and in four weeks for the final event. Weather permitting, we'll be under way in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in an hour or so.

Golf Channel reporting that the PGA Tour is close to their deadline for finding sponsorship for their Tampa Bay tournament, variously called the Chrysler Championship, PODS, Transitions and Tampa Bay Championship (among other things) during its relatively short history.

Hope they find a sponsor as the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook is one of the better courses the Tour plays. Speculation that the Puerto Rico event might move in to the Tampa slot, but that would mean, essentially, another tournament's worth of tee-times denied the Tour's rank and file.

Kwini, you not cheering on the Yankees are you? Its like supporting Man U isnt it! My Brother in law went to his first baseball game last night and sent me pics from Twins against Kansas. He seemed to enjoy it.

Have the PGA not got enough money in the bank to cover a tournament for a few years, they must have PGA sponsors that can all chip in?

ben,
Not only a Yankee fan, back from the days they weren't very good (remember watching Man Utd at Millwall in the old Div 2 back in the early 70's!), but married in to a family of Yankee fans.
Love baseball (but not the new Yankee Stadium especially); hope your relatives enjoyed the Twins!

As for the Tour subsidising an event, they might actually have subsidised it to some extent in the past - one of Finchem's acts of genius has been to pour Tour funds in to events that were becoming a bit dodgy, and most are now thriving. Why can't O'Grady do the same? 1.4M for last week at Gleneagles is pathetic, for instance - where's those Ryder Cup profits?????

kwinigolfer wrote:b..one of Finchem's acts of genius has been to pour Tour funds in to events that were becoming a bit dodgy, and most are now thriving. Why can't O'Grady do the same? 1.4M for last week at Gleneagles is pathetic, for instance - where's those Ryder Cup profits?????

Exactly - if you let an event dwindle, the prize money falls, top players stay away, the sponsors find it less attractive so pay less, so the prize money falls and so on. Inject some new cash for a few years and you can create a self-sustaining high value event.

pedro,
Missed yr note - Thanks!

Greg Owen is the pacemaker this morning, out to a stroke lead early in Round 1. He probably remembers the inconceivable horlicks he made of the 72nd hole at Glen Abbey where par, after a perfect lay-up, would have probably secured him his Tour card for next year and a Play-off spot. Insatead he went all shanksville and tapped in for a waterlogged double-bogey.

Haven't done the arithmetic, but would think a Top Five finish in any of the four-event series would assure a Top 25 placing - especially as money won by the 25 web.com Tour grads is presumably discounted except for status priority purposes.

Anyone know where there is no coverage today until the play is almost over?

US Coverage starts 3pm US time (8pm UK) - pretty normal for day 1

Phil - En Fuego! 28 for his 1st 9!

59 watch!! Lefty is -7 through 9.....Out in 28.

Bogey followed by an eagle

McLaren wrote:Anyone know where there is no coverage today until the play is almost over?

All the cameramen and production staff have been cajoled into a poll to decide who is the "sexiest" golfer.

super_realist wrote:

McLaren wrote:Anyone know where there is no coverage today until the play is almost over?

All the cameramen and production staff have been cajoled into a poll to decide who is the "sexiest" golfer.

Good to see Westwood doing fine so far although everyone appearing to be pretty average cf. Phil!

navyblueshorts wrote:

super_realist wrote:

McLaren wrote:Anyone know where there is no coverage today until the play is almost over?

All the cameramen and production staff have been cajoled into a poll to decide who is the "sexiest" golfer.

Good to see Westwood doing fine so far although everyone appearing to be pretty average cf. Phil!

If Lefty ever gets shot, Westwood will be prime suspect!

Tiger must be really peed, Mickelson seems to always outplay him when they are paired together.

Oops, 63 for Davis as well. Where did that come from? And 66 for Poultry despite missing a sh1tload of putts inside 15ft.

incontinentia wrote:Tiger must be really peed, Mickelson seems to always outplay him when they are paired together.

Saw Ryan Moore last night on tv. Glad he is doing something since the hangover movies.

beninho wrote:Saw Ryan Moore last night on tv. Glad he is doing something since the hangover movies.

Unlike Mike Tyson.

A little OWGR housekeeping... (not that anybody is playing attention to OWGR this week anyway)

Field ratings

74 - Deutsche Bank, PGAT - (751 ERV)
24 - Wales, Euro T - (96 ERV)
16 - Vana H Cup, Japan  - (21 ERV)
16 - Hotel Fitness, Web.com playoff
12 - N. Ireland, Challenge Tour
6 - Wildfire, Canadian Tour
4 - Wild Waves, Sunshine Tour

McLaren wrote:Anyone know where there is no coverage today until the play is almost over?

You may have already worked this out Mac, and irrelevant now, but Sky were showing the Chelsea - Bayern game and you could get to the golf via the red button. When the football finished at 10, the golf came on as the 'main' thing

Back from Brooklyn and see this thread is almost hibernating. No-one like the sight of Sergio at the head of the table then?

Thanks for the owgr info, robo, hopefully that ET 24 wasn't subsidised? Perhaps a slightly deeper field this week will creep us up towards 30 points, but still disappointing to see no refugees from the PGA Tour, apart from Harrington . . . . and Ben Curtis.

Lots of rain in the Boston area this morning, and I'd be surprised if there were no suspensions of play. Early (8.00 a.m. off both nines) start though so perhaps we'll see a winner this afternoon.


Very happy to see Immelman win the first web.com Tour Final event - that's his PGA Tour card secured for 2013/2014, Patrick Cantlay's, Bud Cauley's and John Peterson's too.
Solid start for Russell Knox, and three more results like that (T18) will have him back on Tour by October!

Hi Kwini! I do, I do! Nothing quite like watching Garcia peppering the pins. Well... that and Phils flop shots.

What about this stat??

Comfortable 'pairing' for Sergio today I feel. As much as it would be nice to see Stenson get some reward for his recent play I'm still going for Sergio!

Hopefully we won't have to endure too much of "Nine Chins" bringing up the rear (steady Mac)

Oh Dear! Weather delay until 9.00 a.m. (and perhaps for some time after that I'd imagine). Ah Ha! Now 9.30 a.m.

Yup, Let's hope for more Sergio magic today, but lots to play for for Poulter also; at the very least Ian, "Do No Harm"!

Martin Laird still has a hope, if not a prayer, of qualifying for the BMW but he's kinda playing like his season's race is run. A break for Laird and then a win in Las Vegas would be just the business methinks.


Just did a sporting double-header in NYC - Friday at the US Open Tennis, never been before and what a first-class operation! Some stupid match scheduling however and didn't see any exciting contests. A bit like paying to see Springsteen and getting the Beastie Boys instead.

Then my second visit to the new Yankee Stadium on Saturday - exhorbitant prices for EVERYTHING, but another first-class, fan-friendly experience if you (I especially) can get past the cost.

I LOVE New York!!

Another good round for Rory last night even. Still 2 double bogeys this week. But his good rounds are looking a bit more common.

Thinking of a NYC trip soon friends in new jersey offering a spare room which is nice.

kwinigolfer wrote:No-one like the sight of Sergio at the head of the table then?

I’m always surprised at how much support Sergio gets (from UK audiences anyway). I can imagine he’d be a great player to watch in the flesh - from what I’ve heard he’s an old school shot-maker kind of player – but he’s got such a miserable demeanour and comes across as a very dour bloke.

I will always remember following Olzabal and Garcia round St Andrews when I was young and being in awe of how they could hit balls high, low, left and right. Unbelievable.

Did anyone read the stats about how Rory is hitting more fairways and greens than he did last year? Its the bad holes that are killing him. Too many doubles and triples when last year they woulda been bogeys.

A large part of Sergio's appeal is surely that he's capable of wonderful shotmaking, an "extra gear" but is flawed.
Extra appeal here in America to me is that the US media hacks make a good part of their living by dissing him and writing/spouting negative anti-Sergio stuff. Made more sad, of course, by the fact that just when Sergio might win some support, he fries his chicken instead.

Kwini... Wales was an "honest" 24 level event. 24 range is 91-105... Wales was 96.

As for Sergio... While I didn't see much of yesterday's coverage, from what I did see it looked like a ball striking clinic. I've been lucky enough to see a few of those from him... but perhaps the best was when I was with his group on Saturday the week when he won the Byron Nelson back in the mid-2000's. That was one of those days he hit the ball about as well as anybody I'd ever seen. I think he shot 64-65... but if he could have putted a lick, it could easily have been 60-61 or maybe even challenged the magic number...

I can't really give you a reason... but I've never exactly warmed to the guy. Not that there's ever been any issue or anything I've seen that would make me dislike him... it's just more of a distance he's always kept from anybody or anything media related (even camera grunts). Sometimes he just gives an attitude as if "I wish you weren't here". But hey, that's true of a lot of guys... well some guys anyway. Bottom line... I love to watch exciting golf.. and both the good and the bad exciting... Sergio's provided more than his share... so he's good by me.

 robo

True to several 606v2 observations, Rory kicks off with a double bogey.

Kwini wrote:No-one like the sight of Sergio at the head of the table then?

Not really, still feel he got off lightly after his racist comment and wish him no good will at all. A poisonous little twerp.

Excuse me if this is a dumb question but in a split tee start and of those playing the wrong round (back 9 first) why do the best scores tee off first and those last tee off .... last? For the crowds and tv? I suppose the tailenders wont factor and therefore better off concentrating on the leaders only coming down the stretch?

But if the scores were a bit tighter then concievably someone starting at early o'clock could post a score a couple of hours before the leaders finish, which would seem a bit daft.

I like Sergio. The chicken remark was dumb but massively overblown and I doubt it reflects his real self at all.
I'm similar to Lairdy. Would be happy for Stenson to win as he's been playing so consistently well recently but between the two of them, I'd rather it was Sergio.

McLaren wrote:Not really, still feel he got off lightly after his racist comment and wish him no good will at all. A poisonous little twerp.

Take's one to know one? Get off your hobby horse. I'm sure you were equally scathing of Woods' 'spaz' remark of a few years back? No? Thought not.

Don't worry Navy, he's too busy trying to get a handjob off Adam Scott.

Lairdy wrote:Excuse me if this is a dumb question but in a split tee start and of those playing the wrong round (back 9 first) why do the best scores tee off first and those last tee off .... last? For the crowds and tv? I suppose the tailenders wont factor and therefore better off concentrating on the leaders only coming down the stretch?

But if the scores were a bit tighter then concievably someone starting at early o'clock could post a score a couple of hours before the leaders finish, which would seem a bit daft.

If you think about it... it's really no different than if they were all teeing off in order all on #1. In both cases the guy who is roughly 35th could conceivably have a great round and get into contention. Using single tees that 35th guy might be 4 hours earlier than the leaders starting... only difference is using split tees is that 35th guy could be 1.5 to 2 hours earlier....

True. First glance at the split tee start and I would have had those last going out first on the back 9 but given what you have said and for TV and the crowd's sake it probably makes sense the way they have it. I suppose they should know what they are doing!

Two double bogeys now for Rory.

And a poor round in progress for #1 - would imagine that if this tournament didn't benefit the TW Foundation he'd've been a goner. No real reason for him to play at Chicago, especially on a track he may never have seen before so perhaps he'll take a 2 week break.
#2 and #3 not doing much better, but Jordan Spieth making a compelling case for Couples to take him to Muirfield Village..


The only reason where teeing off on double tees seems to place expedience ahead of common sense is the rare occasion when compounded weather problems persuade the Tour not to re-group the players, already playing Round 3 of split tees, for Round 4.
Ludicrous situation a few years ago with Andres Romero in the clubhouse playing video games for almost three hours before being declared the official winner in New Orleans.

Several of the usual American suspects bunching between -14 and -16 - who will come out of the pack to mount a challenge?

Kwini

You mentioned you were looking forward to what the web.com finals might have to offer. Did you watch Immelman get his card for next year?

Bogeys on Par-5's are not the way for leaders to start. 3-putt 6 for Sergio, Water ball for Henrik, make it easy for the chasing pack to catch up.
Perhaps Poulter can sense the leaders are in reverse and start accelerating as he tells us his Ferrari does?

Few players seem to go forward or in reverse as well as Sergio does. When he's dialed in as lethal as anyone. Like Rory and Tiger in that respect.

Sergio's making a total pig's ear of this so far so all Garcia haters can have at it.
Hopefully he'll get his armada sailing on course again but not a promising start.
But back in the pack, Westwood's making his move. Too little too late? Of course; but it will be fun to watch.

Tape delayed coverage today, just the way NBC and Golf Channel seem to like their golf - maddening.

Henrik takes the lead. In Scotland he rather bottled it, what will he do here?

Marvellous round being laid down by Jordan Spieth - difficult to believe Fred Couples won't pick him now. Horschel not playing well which has been a habit recently so perhaps Couples will pick his top 11 plus Spieth?
No such luxury for Nick Price.