PGA Tour: Happy New Year!: Notes from the Ballwasher

1).'Ere we go again; seems like only yesterday that the first six events of the 2013/2014 PGA Tour season were in the book and Christmas seemed so far away. But here we are, with the "Hyundai Tournament of Champions" teeing off on Friday morning, with the final round scheduled for Monday. (Back to a normal Thursday thru Sunday routine at Waialae next week for the Sony Open.)

2).The past few weeks over here have been consumed with golf media picking their ten/twenty/thirty best of the year, either this one or last, coincidentally or not all finding ways to put Tiger Woods's name in their headlines. Golf Channel revealed breathlessly that Tiger featured in seven of their top ten stories of 2013 - which just goes to show they don't give a monkey's about Majors.

3).And most of the rest of the ink, cyber or otherwise, has been devoted to "What's wrong with Rory? and that won't last" plus the usual anti-Sergio bandwagon, even the AP's Doug Ferguson piling on with conclusions that Padraig Harrington thinks Sergio's a pr1ck ('course he does); no mention of what others are beginning to think about St.Padraig of course.

4).So, let's start with Tiger. Happy Birthday, 38 a few days ago, and Golf Channel reminding us that only Hogan and Nicklaus have won four Majors after turning 38.

5).But a far more significant milestone will be marked on Sunday as Miguel-Angel Jimenez turns FIFTY!!!!! No word of immediate plans for The Mechanic but surely Rioja, Cigars, Ferraris and the Volvo Golf Champions will be on his radar - snuggled in behind Ryder Cup qualification no doubt? Despite his win in Hongkers a few weeks ago, he's still outside the qualification places, currently held by:
~European points: Poulter, Bjorn, Dubuisson, Stenson.
~World points: Garcia, Donaldson, Rose, McIlroy and Gonzo.

6).And the American top nine are:
Mickelson, Dufner, DJohnson, Moore, English, Simpson, Walker, Kirk, Furyk.

Three Captain's Choices in each case.

7).Last year's busman's holiday to Kapalua was almost blown away, Dustin Johnson winning the trophy, and Paulina, with the best score over 54 holes played in about 36 hours.
Five star attractions are missing this year, Rose, Mickelson, Woods, Stenson and McDowell, but there's a decent field nonetheless, led by Adam Scott. 26 of the 30-strong field are Americans, Sang-Moon Bae, Jonas Blixt and Martin Laird being the only other "overseas" players with a tee-time.

8).Three players that I'll be watching, for this week and especially this season, are Dustin, Bill Haas and Harris English.
Will Johnson, who won here last January, take the chip-on-his-shoulder from not making the Presidents Cup Team and propel himself to this year's Ryder Cup Team? He certainly took the WGC-HSBC Champpions in his stride.
And what about Bill Haas? Not the most consistent of players but a very impressive ball-striker on his day who looks to have the game for Kapalua and the ambition for a bump up to the elite level of American golf.
Then there's Harris English, twice a winner last year - he won't win this week but has the game to turn his consistency in to a Ryder Cup spot and at least one more win. Seems at home with the frat-boy crowd making names for themselves on the PGA Tour, but what a miserable sod he looks on the course.
'Course, I'll be watching for Martin Laird because I always do, but in his two visits to Kapalua he has a 4th and 2nd place finish. Ten knicker each way please Guv.

9).It seems the WGC-Accenture MatchPlay will have to do without some of its leading qualifiers; Woods could be otherwise engaged in a Sochi hotel suite, Mickelson usually avoids it, Scott has said he won't play and Justin Rose has flashed the orange traffic light.
Talking of Rose, it seems that Golf took a backseat in the New Year's Honours List, no gongs apparently to be had by anyone, least of all recognition for Justin's win at Merion. No Dame Laura, no Sir Tone. Shameful really.

10).And let's bid a final goodbye to four great golfing stalwarts who signed their scorecards in 2013 for the last time: Miller Barber, Bernard Hunt, Dave Thomas and Ken Venturi.
They will be replaced by four shining lights in 2014.
No guessing (yet) who they may be, but hope all our favourite golfers enjoy a Happy and Healthy New Year, and a Ryder Cup win for Europe.
OK? Thanks.

Adam Scott skipping all the tournaments on Left Coast, while playing both in Hawaii.  He won't reappear until Honda.  With Tiger, and Rory I presume.

Happy New Year all!

Not sure why anyone would be overly concerned about Rory's engagement and what it will do to his golf game ... I saw he wants to bag 2 majors this year and I would not be surprised were he to accomplish that.

One of these years I need to attend the event in Hawaii ... crowds always look scarce and what a place to visit!

Happy New Year Shotrock,

One reason crowds look sparse is because the course (Kapalua Plantation Course) is almost unwalkable. Don't go to spectate, go to play!!

Keep warm and get your shovel out; who said it can be too cold to snow? -9F and snowing here. Brutal!!

Snow to start later this afternoon ... media making a huge deal about it ... but to a CNY'er like myself, just a minor inconvenience (until I have to drive with these nuts!)

Stay warm and remember alcohol kills germs, so keep your defense up Kwin!

Good advice there . . . . .

Dustin Johnson has pulled out of the TOC Pro-Am complaining of a stiff neck. Really pleased he's the anchor of my fantasy foursome. Come on Paulina, work your magic.

I'm the only bloke in my fantasy foursome kwini  

!!!!
I think Dustin's living his fantasy twosome . . . . .

I see there's a caveat emptor in any support for Harris English as he's just announced a change in equipment, going to Callaway.
Not to say he won't win with his new sticks right away, but few do.
Watch this space.

I see Adam Scott was chosen over Woods as the Golf Writers Association of America's player of the year. I'm sure politics had a big influence on that decision, not that Tiger gives a damn what the golf press thinks of him.

Scott vs Woods?
incont: I think the key here was that it was for Adam's achievements around the world, and not just in PGA Tour events.
Tiger Player of the Year for the PGA Tour alone.

I, too, think the inaccessibility and constant cliche machine that Tiger is has turned off plenty of golf writers ... can't have helped his cause.

Also, fully agree that Tiger almost certainly does not give a hoot about what they think of him.

2 more years for Adam to use the broomstick putter. Me thinks he'll need to make hay the next 24 months.

Ironic that Adam Scott benefitted from playing within the (existing) rules in a year that most ruleds controversies involved Tiger!
 
Unless you count Martin Laird's long, but apparently not anchored, putter Scott was the only anchorer to win last season, though Webbgod has already won this.
 
Forecast for Kapalua to be 100F degrees warmer than us later today!

Scott (like so many others) has immense talent and a swing that would probably enable him to shoot par with a garden rake. Still, very curious how this year will play out ... will he build on that or go Lukey on us? IMO, it's still Rory and Tiger's sandbox, both seem not just that they want to win more, but that they simply deserve it.

Shotrock wrote:Scott (like so many others) has immense talent and a swing that would probably enable him to shoot par with a garden rake. Still, very curious how this year will play out ... will he build on that or go Lukey on us? IMO, it's still Rory and Tiger's sandbox, both seem not just that they want to win more, but that they simply deserve it.

Can't really see how Pube Head "deserves" to win more. He scarcely seems to give a toss these days. He might be getting his game back, but I think rankings wise in 2013 he wasn't even a top 50 player.

Stenson on the other hand looks like a man 100% focussed on being the best in the world. Hopefully he'll get there.

Why is it you think Rory "deserves it"? (or Tiger for that matter)

EDIT: Just seen s_r ask pretty much the same question

I fully agree they certainly don't "deserve it" in the literal sense ... only that they bring that attitude to each tournament. Call it greater mental toughness or absurd expectations. Both (Tiger more so) have proven to be world beaters time and again.

Shotrock wrote:I fully agree they certainly don't "deserve it" in the literal sense ... only that they bring that attitude to each tournament. Call it greater mental toughness or absurd expectations. Both (Tiger more so) have proven to be world beaters time and again.

Still don't understand it. McIlroy was an utter deadbeat for most of 2013 and looked like he didn't want to be there at all, in fact he demonstrated that by walking off mid tournament.

9C had a very good year, but as always he looks like he'd rather eat his own head (which I'm sure he would if it was made of chocolate) than be on a golf course. He might have won multiple times, but the amount of dodgy rule decisions that he didn't even bother to clarify makes you wonder whether he cared at all about the outcome.

I think you've probably just picked a bad word as a description about either of them. 9C is undoubtedly a "World Beater", but I don't think you could say either have exceptional "mental toughness" or "absurd expectations", especially as 9C hasn't won a major in 5 and a half seasons whilst Pube Head has demonstrated just how little mental toughness he has as he can't cope with domestic management issues and turn in performances.

Just my opinion Super. But, I'll suggest Tiger -- throughout his career -- has shown pretty much unmatched metal toughness in stroke play events. Last 5 years without a major very troubling for him (but he's of course held to a different standard).

As to Rory ... what he did at Congressional after his meltdown at Augusta is one of the most amazing feats I've seen in professional golf.

Shotrock wrote:Just my opinion Super. But, I'll suggest Tiger -- throughout his career -- has shown pretty much unmatched metal toughness in stroke play events. Last 5 years without a major very troubling for him (but he's of course held to a different standard).

As to Rory ... what he did at Congressional after his meltdown at Augusta is one of the most amazing feats I've seen in professional golf.

I'd say he did pre 2008. Not sure he does now. Doesn't close out the way he used to. Doesn't intimidate fields now as much either.

as for Pube Head, I think his career has been too short and too hot and cold to put him in 9C's class. I think technically he's the more natural  golfer and certainly a more pleasant person due to presence of a personality, but I don't think he's close to measuring up to 9C as a player to be feared in a field even if 9C isn't as fearsome as he once was.

Very pro-American, anti-International set of tee times again, but what should we expect from the PGA Tour?
Very happy the European Tour respects players for their accomplishments rather than their nationalities.

Hope Martin Laird carries that thought on to win this week, only about eight players in the field have won more events than him, (tho' I suppose Woody Austin could have the same complaint, as he's opening the batting).

Shotrock wrote:

2 more years for Adam to use the broomstick putter. Me thinks he'll need to make hay the next 24 months.

When do people think that he will change. Given that it turned his game around I think that he will try and do as much as possible until the last moment then change fearing the worst. Or maybe he's hoping for a reprieve. Obviously Webb will be praying for it.

Anti International Tee Times? All four of them?

Early Tee times are generally regarded as advantageous Tee Times!

Oh, because they are not in the TV featured groups?

Just how many fans does Blixt, Laird, S-M Bae have anyways.

Blixt's entourage has more fans than he does!!!


Laird, Bae, and Blixt are generally where I would place them on the "Needle Mover" Pecking order.  With Brown, Reed, and Duke.

Kwin - Don't see the conspiracy myself.

No conspiracy! Just anti non-Americans.

It's a frequent observation of something you seldom if ever see in Europe, Americans of any standing at all always being treated with great respect. And rightly so if they've deserved it.

super_realist wrote:
as for Pube Head, I think his career has been too short and too hot and cold to put him in 9C's class. I think technically he's the more natural  golfer and certainly a more pleasant person due to presence of a personality

I can't believe you wrote that. Though I tend to agree with your opinions on 9C, I'd say even the dull.dreary 9C has more personality that our little pubic haired tuber consumer

Laird, Bae, and Blixt are teeing off right in the vicinity of their OWGR in the field.

Not a perfect correlation....but pretty dang close.

Again - Just don't see it Kwin. As GPB points out, They are in the vicinity of their rankings.

If that's the criteria they want to set, GPB, fair enough (got Blixt wildly out of whack however, Shotrock). Didn't they used to send them out in the order they won their tournaments?
 
Just think these contrived tee-times are an unfortunate development, disrespectful really to the top players who flash just a little less bling.
 
Fortunately, important events like Majors offer exemptions to quality of play rather than which college a player attended. Except for Ishikawa of course.

Kwin - That's an entirely different way of looking at it then ... "contrived tee times, disrespectful to the top player who flash a little less bling" -- none of which can fit into an anti-Europeon conspiracy. What's more, sometime players complain about the last tee time with greens that have been trampled on by every other group.

Kwini, I think you are just trying to find a way to get your knickers in a knot.  Blixt is no further out of whack than Ryan Moore if there was an OWGR correlation.

And I think if you polled the players, most of them would prefer to go out earlier than later.

Usually weather is calmer in the morning and there are not any spike-marks and footprints.

I know when I doing Yahoo fantasy picks, I factor in earlier tee times favorably when deciding on whether to make a change.

It is not at the top of my criteria, but it does carry some weight.

I've always thought Ryan Moore gets crappy groupings because he's not sponsored by one of the big companies . . . . . .

Let's send Woods and Mickelson out in the first pairings in future and see how their sponsors like it.

Woods and Mickelson get into the featured groups because they are popular players.  Not because they are sponsored by Nike and Callaway.

Supermarkets put their best selling products on the 5 foot high shelves.  They don't make you climb a ladder to get to the top shelf nor do they put them knee high.

I expect Ryan Moore to have a big season actually and he is one of my early tips for the Masters....It seems like Stenson has moved to Callaway


I think DJ is a sure thing to win a major this year!

Kwini

What does others think of Padraig btw?

Good article! I see no lies in his opinion of Garcia!

Go on Dufner!

Padraig is one insightful guy ... IMO, of course.

Hi benson,
HNY!

Now that Padraig is (temporarily or permanently?) a Tour non-entity, plus the fact he's Irish, the US media loves him. They especially love coaxing him in to digs about Sergio who, by and large, they constitutionally despise.

Personally, I hope Padraig gets his game back and Sergio goes from strength to strength - just not necessarily in the same week.

Kapalua looking its usual spectacular self.

Not many Europeans making the trip to the Sony Open:
Russell Knox,
Lingmerth,
Pettersson
and that looks to be about it.
A continent-full of Asians and the usual smattering of Champions Tour players.
What price Clark and HowellIII both making the top 5?

PS: Boo Weekley must have put on a couple of stone over Christmas.

The thing is kwini, sergio gives us much reason to despise him. Sow why shouldn't that be how he is reported on?

'Course, Some would say there is so much reason to love Sergio - certainly still one of the three most exciting players in World Golf.

Let's hope he enjoys a wonderful season.

I certainly don't think the US media (in general) is overly hard on Sergio. (I do think you are seeing conspiracies where none exist Kwin).

And he does have the extra gear and certainly makes a very fine living playing this game.

My observation is that he still can't get out of his own way. The gaping hole in his professional resume (especially at his level) is his inability to close a major. Enough of the shoe throwing, hole spitting, "woe is me, I catch all the bad breaks", no one really likes to play with Tiger stuff ... I'm glad Harrington called him out.

Hoist your trophies Sergio and and watch the accolades roll in (which I think is probably what he really wants more than anything).

I think there is a very calculating streak in what Harrington says - he knows exactly who his audience is, exactly what he's saying. Hopefully the European media wouldn't lap up his guff the way the Daily American does.

Great player, but time to start letting your clubs do the talking Padraig as they did in the past. Otherwise, he'll be relying on career-earnings exemptions to play on the PGA Tour in 2014/2015 and snide remarks may earn headlines but won't earn any FedEx points. Also doing his Ryder Cup Captaincy chances no good at all.

Tee times moved up 3 hours today as compared to yesterday. 

Its probably another conspiracy against International Players since Blixt is teeing off first at 7:30 am local time.

Scratch that.  The move was Pre-planned, apparently for GC/NBC.

NBC is televising Chiefs vs Colts and Saints vs Eagles late this afternoon and tonight and they forced PGAT to change tee times.

Of course Harrington knows what he's saying ... why would anyone think otherwise? He's happy to play alongside and against Tiger, but not so much Sergio. Shocker there.

Harrington may be past his competitive prime, but I'll lay 25 - 1 odds he finishes his career with as many or more professional majors than Sergio. Don't expect much action on that.

2,500-1 more like.
Always the bird in the hand, Shotrock!

Saints and Eagles both won this afternoon! Pleased about that.

Martin Laird endured his first over-70 round in nine efforts with yesterday's 71. Hopefully we'll have sub-70 today.

kwinigolfer wrote:Saints and Eagles both won this afternoon! Pleased about that.

Martin Laird endured his first over-70 round in nine efforts with yesterday's 71. Hopefully we'll have sub-70 today.

Saints and Eagles both won this afternoon?  Huh?

Must have been that bad tee time for Martin Laird that made him shoot over 70 for the first time in 9 tris.

Southampton beat Burnley and Palace won at West Brom.
Of course the Saints and Eagles won.

Lots of birds and eagles out there early doors.

Hoping for an Eagles win this evening!