PGA Tour: We Lost the Ashes, Can We Win Phoenix?: Notes from the Ballwasher

1).Can a British Golfer win the "Waste Management Phoenix Open"?
Probably not - it's been 26 years since Sandy Lyle won here, 16 years since a European won (Parnevik) and Aaron Baddeley is the only non-American to rise in Phoenix in the past ten years.

2).Back to Phoenix later but they'll have a tough act to follow after the excitement at Torrey Pines' South Course last weekend. Scott Stallings threw away winning chances last year at least twice, but won the third tournament of his young career with a brave birdie on #18 while better placed challengers fell away.
Stallings joined Dustin Johnson (8), Rory (6), Webb Simpson (4), Keegan Bradley (3) and Anthony Kim (3, remember him?) as the only under-thirties on Tour with at least three wins.

3).Mark Calcavecchia tweeted: "I've thought back on my 33-year pro career and under perfect weather like this week this course is the hardest course I've played on Tour."
Only five golfers broke 70 on Saturday, only Andres Romero (67) in with anything better than 69.
Pin positions and course conditions were easier on Sunday and you'd think our favourite Europeans might take advantage. Wouldn't you?
But only Russell Knox (70) broke par and the likes of Colsaerts, Laird, Poulter and Westwood wasted splendid opportunities to earn themselves a rich payday, plus much-needed points of the owgr and FedEx variety.
Westwood made SEVEN birdies but still stumbled in with a 74. Is Billy Foster the solution or the problem?

4).Anyway, I loved watching the pros play golf on a course where par actually meant something.
And, talking about courses, Golf Digest issued their first ever "World 100 Greatest Courses".
Top ten:
Pine Valley, Cypress Point, Augusta National, Royal County Down, Shinnecock Hills, Royal Dornoch, St.Andrews (Old), Muirfield, Royal Melbourne (West), Oakmont.

5).Extolling the virtues of golf in the North of Scotland and Northern Ireland is fashionable in the US Golfing Press right now, whether because they're tired of the Open Championship "rota", they've just discovered Mapquest or what.
But the Top ten British & Irish courses were listed as:
Royal County Down, Royal Dornoch, St.Andrews, Muirfield, Royal Portrush, Turnberry (Ailsa), Ballybunion, Carnoustie, Royal Birdale, Sunningdale (Old). Whaddya think?
PS: Hoylake doesn't make the Top 100.

6).The Weiskopf-designed TPC Scottsdale hosts the Phoenix Open as usual, complete with its famous 16th hole where there'll be more noise than at the Super Bowl. The course is being "re-done" after this year's event; whether that will favour "bombers" or "navigators" remains to be seen, but Mark Wilson (whatever's happened to him?) is the only relatively "short" hitter to win here recently.
Padraig Harrington paid his first visit last year and played really well until falling asleep on his 72nd hole and finishing 9th, his best PGA Tour finish of the year.

7).It'll be interesting to read St.Padraig's comments to the Press later today. This will be his first start of the 2013/2014 season and, without exemption in to any of the WGC's, The Masters or the US Open one wonders whether he'll play a full 15-event schedule. Or whether he'll add US tournaments at the expense of the European minimum. It's a conundrum for players departing the Top 50, and others who may be affected in a similar way include Colsaerts - who seems committed to the PGA Tour early in the year - , Peter Hanson and Olesen.

8).Other Europeans in Phoenix, in addition to Harrington, include:
Colsaerts, Brian Davis, Gonzo, Kaymer, Laird, Lynn, Pettersson, Poulter (would think he should be suited to this course) and Westwood.

9).Some Americans who we're used to seeing in Ryder/Presidents Cup combat are either really struggling this season, or have scarcely played.
Snedeker is one, currently 23rd in Ryder Cup qualifying and coming off a horrendous missed cut last week.
And Keegan Bradley is another, lots of middling finishes but languishing in 26th place. Stricker, of course is even further adrift, Bubba Watson further still.
But Hunter Mahan is another good example - he took most of the autumn off and returns to find himself in 37th place. He won here a few years ago and I'd expect him to be highly motivated, this coming month especially given his good record here, at Pebble and the MatchPlay.

10).Finally, a tip of the visor to JB Holmes. JB is not one of my fave golfers, not even in the Top 100, but anyone who's returned from a succession of injuries and health issues as he has deserves support.
As if brain surgery in 2011 wasn't enough, he followed his 2012 comeback with a broken ankle last spring while out rollerblading (real smart).
Now he's back again and finished 23rd in San Diego - he has about 20 tournaments playing under a Major Medical Extension to earn about $600K and you'd think he'll fancy a good week in Phoenix where he won in 2006 and 2008 to help him on his way. Doubtless he also has the PGA Championship at Valhalla on his mind.
He was a member of the winning Ryder Cup Team at Valhalla in 2008 and is a Kentucky boy. Good luck to him.

I'm very surprised they haven't come up with a name to jazz up the sponsorship a bit.

I can just imagine the winners speech. "And I'd like to thank Waste Management for continuing to support us" hardly got the kudos of a BMW, Volvo, HSBC or Alfred Dunhill has it?

Is the trophy a sculture of a used condom or crushed soup can?

. . . . crushed soup can inside a used condom . . . . . .

Beggars can't be choosers s_r.

A turd being flushed (ie waste management). I'd like to win it though!

Golf rankings a never ending debate ... but makes for fun banter like this place. From my limited experience, I would place some more of those Heathland greats up higher, but no problem with Royal Dornoch, Merion and Pine Valley where they are. Disagree that the US Press (still trying to figure out just who that is) recently finds Northern Scotland or Ireland fashionable - those courses have been ranked highly for many, many years.

It's not about the name, it's about the numbers in professional golf. And the folks in Phoenix know how to get people to the gate. Maybe the European Tour should send someone to take notes.

In that case I'm looking forward to the Vagisil Open and the Preparation H Invitational.

Sr,
The European Tour should send someone to take notes at every PGA Tour event.
(Unusual to see RCD and Dornoch rated above St Andrews and Muirfield don't you think? Merion ahead of Pebble Beach looks a bit dodgy to me too!)

Kwin - I have never played St. Andrews or Muirfield. I would defer to those who've played those and I know there are some very polarizing opinions on St. Andrews. A course that I would never tire playing would be Golspie (which hardly score highly since it's a real mix of links/inland/heathland). Closer to (my) home, I find Oakmont (great design, wonderful condition) just too difficult to deserve such a high ranking. That's the only place they slow down the greens for the US Open. All opinions ... and no love for Newport??

It's quite common to see Dornoch above St.Andrews atually Kwini, for the very reason that Dornoch is actually a good course and not just a very average course with a lot of history.
Dornoch is in my top 3 courses of all time, St.Andrews Old Course isn't even in my top 3 courses in St.Andrews

To choose St.Andrews over Dornoch would be like choosing to go to Turf Moor instead of the Emirates.

s_r,
Yup, I understand that, even have a Dornoch book on my bookshelf (plus my Dad was posted there when there was an RAF base there! Edit: May be there still is!!).
 
But you don't often see that in magazine rankings here - but Castle Stewart , Royal Aberdeen, Royal Trump, Nairn (thanks to gael of course) and Machetc have all received centrefold-type spreads recently.
As have RCD and Portrush.
 
(What have you got against Turf Moor?!)

Where does Carnoustie rank? It is after all probably the best links anywhere!

Carnoustie is also in my top three Puligny. Not sure what other course makes up the Triumverate.

As for Turf Moor, I was eluding to it being a relic, but with history, much like TOC.

Carnoustie? 31st.
8th among those in the British Isles.
Definite bias sensed against those in the R&A's closed shop.

kwinigolfer wrote:s_r,
Yup, I understand that, even have a Dornoch book on my bookshelf (plus my Dad was posted there when there was an RAF base there! Edit: May be there still is!!).
 
But you don't often see that in magazine rankings here - but Castle Stewart , Royal Aberdeen, Royal Trump, Nairn (thanks to gael of course) and Machetc have all received centrefold-type spreads recently.
As have RCD and Portrush.
 
(What have you got against Turf Moor?!)

I do like a good centre fold spread!

super_realist wrote:In that case I'm looking forward to the Vagisil Open and the Preparation H Invitational.

Over how many holes?

pedro wrote:

super_realist wrote:In that case I'm looking forward to the Vagisil Open and the Preparation H Invitational.

Over how many holes?

   

Will he, Won't he?
Phil, that is.
Whether he is able to tee it up in Phoenix, he won't be going to Riviera in two weeks' time, electing to take (at least) a fortnight off from L.A. and the MatchPlay.

Great notes kwini  

Surprised at Calc's comments on difficulty. I can think of quite a few US Opens where scoring has been much tougher due to difficult course set up (and not weather)... Oakmont, Merion and Shinnecock spring to mind. Torrey Pines does look like a spectacular course though.

One thing I can't agree on however, is your description of Stalling's "brave birdie". Sorry, but I always struggle with the use of the word brave when applied to hitting a golf ball!

Does anyone else increasingly have no desire to play pine valley (not that we even have the chance). It looks over bunkered, encroached by trees, and way over penal.

I would love to know if anyone would rather play a course like that every day, or instead somewhere as joyful as Dornoch?

McLaren wrote:Does anyone else increasingly have no desire to play pine valley (not that we even have the chance). It looks over bunkered, encroached by trees, and way over penal.

I would love to know if anyone would rather play a course like that every day, or instead somewhere as joyful as Dornoch?

What a bizarre comment. Have you been playing the course regularly? Or, following in the footsteps of an infamous former poster, have you been playing this course via the medium of google maps?

ray,
Fair do's on the "bravery" front. Comment was really in the context of him having a shorter iron in to the Humana 72nd hole last year, rinsing it and losing the tournament.

Stallings is a BIG boy, bigger than Patrick Reed even - perhaps a new trend?

I've just played it via the medium of google maps. It looks chuffing amazing. Without having any idea of what it's actually like I'd guess I'd prefer to play that course over the same links course consistently, but as I don't play either enough they'd both make a nice change!

Mac - I played Pine Valley this Fall (and about 15 times in total over the years) and also had the privilege of playing Royal Dornoch last Spring (2x). Give me 10 rounds and it will tip 7/3 (or perhaps 6/4) to Pine Valley.

Pine Valley is certainly visually penal, but is also tremendously playable (you must be able to carry your tee shot 180 yards on a few holes, however). The shot variety is astounding, greens generally large and very complex, routing masterful and conditioning always superb.

And I absolutely loved Royal Dornoch. Best links course I ever played and amazing use of the land. (I did read they just moved the fairway on the 3rd hole, due to some complaints from homeowners.)

Again, all opinions.

Forecast looks good for tomorrow's Phoenix Open, hopefully fair weather thru the weekend.
And still no word on Mickelson, anxious to play Phoenix where he's only missed one start since 1989.
(Not quite as consistent as Barry Lane in Dubai, then.)

I've just played Pine Valley on youtube. I don't want to boast, but I played some fantastic golf, in fact the golf of my dreams.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITeNGYlxXB8

Some pretty intimidating carries out there, you would have to be on your game to play the course. It's not a place where you could swing poorly but scramble round and do ok (which is what I always seem to do). And the tee shot on 15 looks frightening.

It looks like 8 and 9 have two greens each. How does that work?

Shotrock,

If you've played Pine Valley 15 times, as Mac says I'm sure you no longer have any desire to play the world's number 1 ranked course.

Next time you are in the UK, you should take on the infinitely superior Pine Ridge in Surrey. This is better than Pine Valley because:

1. It only costs £37 a round
2. A round takes at least 5 hours, so you are getting a good 25% more value than a 4 hour round at Pine Valley
3. The club has a bowling alley where you can relax with a game of glow in the dark bowls after your round

I expect Shotrock has plenty of experience playing the estimable Pine Hills, perhaps with a lively game of liar's poker afterwards?!?!?


I see one of the Golf Channel's course architecture gurus has rated Cruden Bay the best course in Scotland. Any comments on that from those who have played it?

Pine Hills indeed ... I was in the "Brewery" league, Kwin!

Ray, you had me at the price, but the bowling clinched it for sure.

On the bucket list.

The tee shot on #5 far more intimidating than #15. #14 very intimidating as well.

Pine Valley also has an 11-hole par 3 course, with 8 of the holes replicating the approach shots you will have on the main course. Make a day of it. And if you thought Augusta was in an unassuming area, I guarantee you there are plenty of people that live within 2 miles of Pine Valley that never heard of the place.

I can only imagine Brandel Chamblee's blood pressure is on the rise ...

http://www.golfdigest.com/images/golfworld/2014-02/gwar01-100-greatest-players-chart.jpg

Don't you think this is a pretty meaningless exercise? The fact that it's PGA Tour records only is in pretty small print.
No effort to identify the World's best - as they say so eloquently: "Foreign players had a harder go"! (No irony presumably intended.)

To find a way to eliminate Sandy Lyle somewhat devalues the whole exercise . . . . . .

Given the criteria, Robert Allenby is the most surprising absentee to me. Cabrera apparently #101.

If you take it for what it is, it's quite interesting and from a PGA Tour only perspective, maps onto my gut feel for roughly where players sit in the rankings. As long as nobody mistakes it for Best in the World, Ever.

PS: Also shocked that John Cook is ranked so poorly (77th), despite his 11 qualifying wins.
And it's a shame they felt it necessary to disqualify Jerry Pate, as well as Trevino, Graham etc - you'd've thought it would be fair to grandfather late 70's achievements.
Andy Bean, Parnevik and Loren Roberts among those rated above their station. Edit: Luke Donald as well come to think of it.

Interesting point is it's only from 1980.

s_r,
Assume that's deliberate . . . . . !

Hence, the title of best "Modern" players.

From a different dictionary than the Tour's use of the word "World" of course!
Still feel it's a mistake not to have included players of the Stone Age (i.e. when I was still in my 30's) era who won Majors or who enjoyed exceptional years in the 80's.
Surprising that Lehman only has 9 qualifying seasons, and Parnevik only five.
Looking forward to reading more of the fine print, in the Stone Age way rather than the modern fashion!

Would actually have thought Woods would emerge with an even greater margin of superiority

Kwini:  No comment on Lee Westwood and his tee time this week?

Or does it not fit your conspiracy theory?

I followed you on last week's thread GPB.
All good!

Scott and Mickelson out of Match Play

Rose has hinted as much too

Now ESPN reports from Dubai that Tiger is skipping it too

And Jason Sobel is reporting that Rory might not go as well.

GPB wrote:Kwini:  No comment on Lee Westwood and his tee time this week?

Or does it not fit your conspiracy theory?

Well, they put him with an out-of-form player + another English.... Can't be coincidental...   
I guess they'll even try to manipulate his WGC Matchplay pairing.

So how exactly was a players score calculated?

robo mentioned Tiger's possible absence. If Rors misses the MatchPlay it will start to look like a Nike conspiracy.

The morning "wave" are making the turn in Phoenix and Colsaerts is "dominating"! Two-shot lead after 13 holes.
Nah, Don't think he'll ever dominate, muscles in his body, but mussels between the ears. Good start though.
 
At the other end of the spectrum, one of Europe's most consistent golfers on the PGA Tour this past decade, the RedNeck Swede Carl Pettersson, is over par - again. He hasn't finished any better than 12th on Tour since Kapalua, almost 13 months ago. Not very good.

kwinigolfer wrote:The morning "wave" are making the turn in Phoenix and Colsaerts is "dominating"! Two-shot lead after 13 holes.
Nah, Don't think he'll ever dominate, muscles in his body, but mussels between the ears. Good start though.

Way to jinx, Kwini! 2 holes later, he's two shots off the lead at -3

And a drive into the drink on #17 - as I wrote: "mussels between the ears"!
I wonder if he has the temperament to be anything other than an incidental factor on the PGA Tour? Hate to see that gorgeous golf swing wasted.

. . . . and he finishes with an apparent 3-putt from within 14ft. Terrific. Oops, That's pgatour.com playing tricks again.
Gonzo enduring an even more torrid time.

18 holes makes a round, 4 rounds make a tournament. Lots o' time yet.

Pat Perez carrying some form over ... for now.

I like Pat Perez, total nut job, but brilliant golfer; someone else who needs reminding it's a marathon not a sprint.

Harrington just underway, Westwood too.

Oh no,
Westwood three-putts the (relatively) easy par-5 3rd hole from nowhere for another ridiculous par-5 bogey.
Shooting himself in both feet.

kwinigolfer wrote:And a drive into the drink on #17 - as I wrote: "mussels between the ears"!
I wonder if he has the temperament to be anything other than an incidental factor on the PGA Tour? Hate to see that gorgeous golf swing wasted.

Last week he was +4 on the par 5's over the weekend (4 bogies, 4 pars, no birdie). Not what you'd want to see from the longest hitter in the field. Almost Harrington'esque.