PGA Tour: The English Patients: Notes from the Ballwasher

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1).The PGA Tour changes gears this week as the circus moves 140 miles SSW from California's Palm Desert to San Diego by the Sea.
Time for more of our favourites to wipe off the cobwebs, wrap up the equipment testing and advertising shoots, and start to earn their riches. Woods and Mickelson make their seasonal debuts, so do Hunner and Bubba. And so do Poulter and Westwood, two of the leaders of a golden generation of English golfers who promised so much and have delivered excitement around the globe. Two of them have reached Number One in the World, a poisoned chalice in that they immediately attracted media criticism for never having won a Major.
 
2).These guys formed the nucleus of Europe's Ryder Cup demolition of Hal Sutton's US Team at Oakland Hills in 2004. Cowboy Sutton proved to be the proverbial "All Hat and No Horse" as his supposed thoroughbreds scarcely spoke to one another and went from the OK Corral to the Knacker's Yard, temporarily at least.
Westwood led the way, and inspired Paul Casey, Luke Donald, David Howell and Ian Poulter.
With Poults on the sidelines, the other four continued business as usual in 2006, all found their way in to the owgr Top Ten, and it seemed that it was only a matter of time before they were Major Champions.
 
3).Fast forward to 2014 and the Major Championship tally is precisely zero, some close calls from Westwood in particular and a smattering of WGC success, but time is beginning to pass them by. Injuries have hindered most of them, but to no greater degree than an athlete might expect, though David Howell's certainly affected him for a few seasons.
In the Ryder Cup year of 2014, you'd think that only Poulter (who will surely qualify on points anyway) can be sure of a Captain's Choice for Gleneagles should they fail to qualify outright.
Casey and Howell enjoyed their moments in the 2013 sun but quickly regressed again, and Lee and Lukey have fallen away as regular contenders, Westwood held in such high PGA Tour regard that he's teeing it up with non-winners Matt Jones and Josh Teater in San Diego. Whether Tour-typically disrespectful to "foreigners" or their rightful place in the Tour pecking order, it is nevertheless indicative of how far his star has fallen.
 
4).There have been consolation prizes:
Poulter and Donald with their WGC MatchPlay triumphs, Casey with two runner-ups.
Howell (beat young Eldrick by three strokes) and Poulter have HSBC Champions victories.
Casey, Howell and Donald (twice) have BMW Championships.
And Westwood and Donald have won Races to Dubai.
Their combined Ryder Cup record is impressive:
Won: 46
Lost: 23
Halved: 12
(Mickelson and Woods between them have 35 losses, against only 27 wins.)
 
5).But, Donald's magical 2011 season apart, none of them have really thrived on the PGA Tour.
Howell never tried it, perhaps because injury intervened, Casey has one win, Westwood and Poulter two apiece, and Donald five.
 
6).What lies ahead?
Casey? Past Champion status only on the PGA Tour - I thought he was the next British Major winner ten years ago, but he's 36 now, has endured a difficult three years with divorce and injury, and he needs to rededicate himself before that brilliant future slips too far behind him. Hopefully Peter Kostis's return to health will inspire him - Good luck to Peter and Paul.
Howell? Great win at the Dunhill but hasn't kicked on from that. Hope the competitive fires are still burning, we'll see.
Donald? New coach, swing changes, p1ss poor recent form as short-and-crooked seems to have re-entered his game. The world-class short game has regressed from top 3 to top 20 and so has his owgr position.
Westwood? Pivotal year for Lee after a largely wasted 2013 (in PGA Tour terms anyway). He's playing San Diego, Phoenix, Riviera, MatchPlay, Honda and Doral in the next seven weeks after which I reckon he'll either be re-established as a star, or slipping sadly in to the sunset.
Poulter? The brightest spark right now; if he could focus on stroke-play events he could thrive in the States but his ADD seems to get the better of him. He's played his 165 Tour events to date with only 30 top tens, a shockingly poor 18% clip.
 
7).The next generation should be in their prime but only Justin Rose has flourished. Fisher's back in Europe and slowly rebuilding his career after an incomprehensible US schedule last year, and Ollie Wilson is back at the Mansfield pitch and putt. Dyson's career is on probation and the rest of that age group are golfing non-entities, on the World stage at any rate. Time for Willett and Wood to step up, but fingers crossed that Tommy Fleetwood's career can continue last year's momentum.
 
8).Patrick Reed continued his rather portly way through the ranks of America's Young Guns, joining Harris English with two wins while still in their early twenties. Perhaps he can offer Shane Lowry some inspiration?
 
9).This week's "Farmers Insurance Open" at Torrey Pines brings Westwood back to the scene of one of the Majors that he might feel got away, one missed putt from joining "pool-cleaner" Mediate and Tiger Woods in a US Open play-off. It's a horses-for-courses event with Woods (7 wins) and Mickelson (3) having rather dominated since 1993. Snedeker, Haas, Mahan and Watney all have fine records here and in-form Jimmy Walker finished 29th, 8th and 4th in his most recent visits.
Other GB&I participants include Knox and Laird, Greg Owen and David Lynn.
 
10).And Victor Dubuisson is here, joined by Colsaerts (missed cut last week and a long season in prospect unless he can scrape in to WGC's and more Majors - exempt for Pinehurst) and Gonzo, plus most of Team Sweden.
But this is Tiger's house and, with his early season schedule somewhat up in the air, it'll be interesting to see how competitive he is after a break. Usually the answer is "very".

Enough of all that.
They're off on time at Torrey Pines, Victor the Trickter leading the way. He tried PGA Tour Q-School a couple of years ago, so not much doubt where his ambitions lie.

All of the Europeans with a lot to play for; I'd like to see a Top Ten for Russell Knox as that's the only way he's getting in to the Phoenix field unless there are at least three w/d's.

24 within 2 of the lead, I haven't seen it this close in round 4 for a long time!

The only one missing is the often-aforesaid Westwood who's in a downward spiral. A bad day for Team Notts with Greg Owen also going backwards.

Go on the bashful prince!

Hope robo has Russell Knox on his fanto team . . . . .

Despite his snubbing with an early tee time in round 1, Charlie Hoffman putting up a fine round and in the mix with about 50 other golfers.

Will see if that pesky Yank duo of Woodland and Speith can keep any very tenuous lead.

5 birdies for Westwood in his first 14 holes.
Too bad he's +2 for the round.
Come on Billy, earn your corn.

Ten under surely wins it. 'Course, Spieth has already been there, but not since Friday.

Holy smoke! Some guy called Immelman currently at -6 T11...

The earlier discussed Romero and Colsaerts have faded away. Never got the Romero "next big thing" bandwagon.

But enough of the also rans ... if one of these Yanks doesn't get to 9 under, beware Jason Day!

No-one said Romero was the "next big thing", not any more anyway.
We did say he was the biggest wasted talent - and suggested he'd follow yesterday's 67 with a 77. Wrong. 78.

They're handing it to the beyond portly Stallings right now.

Lots and lots of "talent" out there, Kwin ... not a lot of guys that can finish tournaments.

Good for Stallings.

But not many have so much wasted talent as the guys we mentioned, Romero, Perez, and some others.

Jason Day a fabulous golfer who's under-achieving, so far at least.

But nice to see a New Englander winning!

And great result for Russell Knox, the only European to make the cut who didn't stub his toe, and now exempt in to the Phoenix event. Very close now to sewing up his card for 2014/2015.

I would not be surprised if Knox does not make it into Phoenix.

I think the rule is he gets into the next tournament that has an opening.  And Phoenix does not have an opening.

Ryo Ishikawa and Justin Thomas also looking for a spot in Scottsdale

GPB,
Hadn't realised that - he'll be an alternate and get in to Pebble Beach, which he would anyway.
Understandable, but a bit unfair; perhaps the Tour should issue these guys (Fritsch, Wille Mac and Immelman also in that category I think) with a wildcard to use when they want to!
 
Most important that, with a quarter of the season gone, he's two thirds of his way to his 2014/15 card.

Kwini, the case of Ryo Ishikawa and WMO is more curious to me than Russell Knox.

Ryo is ranked #74 in the OWGR about 15 pts from qualifying from the match play.  

He finished 7th at Torrey Pines and is number 1 in the WEBBIE reshuffle.

But he is the 2nd alternate for the WMO.

I have been as critical about Ryo as anyone, but he is playing better now and I think it is unfortunate that he might miss this chance to qualify for the Match Play.  

Ryo still has Pebble Beach to qualify for Match Play, but playing WMO would give him an extra chance.

Maybe Karma is biting back after getting so many Masters Invites.

Hi GPB,
Wasn't trying to make Knox any more of a special case than the other five; unfortunate timing for Ryo but Karma gets it right this time!

No word yet on withdrawals.

No word yet on withdrawals?
 
There is now, Herron apparently having lumped it, and Michael Putnam in.
Russell Knox has slipped a couple of "alternate" places according to RotoWorld, behind Ryo, Justin Thomas and Immelman, but still ahead of Brad Fritsch. Alternates listed in order of Farmers' finish presumably.

PS: I should have added that Roto also confirms that any of these Torrey Top-Tenners will be added to the Riviera field if they don't make the Phoenix phield. And, presumably, Honda if Riviera is phull.

Honda wouldn't help the WEBBIES at the next RESHUFFLE.

GPB,
I don't think this is anything to do with "Webbies Reshuffle", it's all to do with top tenners in a PGA Tournament be exempt in to the next full-field event.

That reshuffle is very important to Brad Fritsch.

He is 35th out of 48 players on the pecking order.

that said, I think all the top 10's from Farmers will get into Northern Trust.  Because they have higher priority than any of the WEBBIES.

Top 10 from previous is Exemption Cat 24.
Webbies are Exemption Cat 25

Michael Putnam (Web moneylist leader) and John Peterson (web finals winners) are Cat 22.

Looks like Fritsch should be up to about 21st now.
I wish him well because he had to withdraw from two events last year having made the cut, because of his back problems - would have been close to his card had he played moderately well on those weekends.

GPB wrote:I would not be surprised if Knox does not make it into Phoenix.

I think the rule is he gets into the next tournament that has an opening.  And Phoenix does not have an opening.

Ryo Ishikawa and Justin Thomas also looking for a spot in Scottsdale

Not sure I quite understand this? Surely with the exemption criteria the way they are, no tournament (with the possible exception of Reno and Puerto Rico) ever has more tee times than players. Even if they have to dip into the 126-150 from last year's FedEx. So what are we defining as "an opening"? Are some tour cards deemed as more important than a top 10, and others not?

Ned,
GPB refers to the PGA Tour's "exemption categerories":

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2013/player_exemptions.html

Categories 22 - 25 apply in this case to understand the priority of entry in to a Tour event.

Kwini:  Westwood has been promoted to a tee time to a Premium tee time this week with recent winners Sneds and English.

Ha! I saw that!!
Good to know those yo-yos in PVB have been reading.